Ugly Betty Season 5
by UBVirtualSeries
Summary: Find out what happens as Ugly Betty returns for Season 5, Fan Fiction style.
1. S5E0: Prologue

**THE **_BACHELOR AND BUTTERFLY_** COMMITTEE WISHES TO PRESENT TO YOU SEASON FIVE OF:- **

**~UGLY BETTY**: **FANFICTION STYLE~**

After the sad demise and eventual cancellation of Ugly Betty, I bet you are wondering about...

What's going on with Betty Suarez and Daniel Meade in London; are they together or not?

What's going on now at _Mode_ since Wilhelmina Slater was made Editor in Chief?

What of Marc St James and Amanda Tannen?

All the questions you are wondering about and more will be answered in this fabulous Fan Fiction series…

As Season 5 will offer you 26 Chapters/episodes of Ugly Betty...

And once you read it, you will fall in love with your favourite characters all over again!

So please, check out Season 5 of Ugly Betty!

Enjoy!

*Please read, review, subscribe and provide constructive criticism for our wonderful committee of authoresses and betas and show some love for the FANTASTC show that was, is and will be UGLY BETTYYYYYYYYYY!

DISCLAIMER: all characters, music and any other official content/products you may recognise belong to their rightful and respective owners and therefore no Copyright Infringement is intended as no profit is made.


	2. S05E01: Fresh Start

**Fresh Start**

A breeze swirled around Daniel as he walked through the park that followed the Thames as it winded through London. He knew he should be tired. Things had been a whirlwind since he'd made the decision to fly to England. After passing the helm over to Wilhelmina, he'd gotten on the phone to arrange a one-way ticket to London and gone up to his mother's office in the Meade building. The moment he'd walked in she seemed to know what was coming.

"I'm going to London. Wilhelmina is in charge of Mode now."

Claire had walked over to him, took his hands in her own and squeezed them. "I wondered how long it was going to take you, Daniel. You are a smart, wonderful man, son, and I am so glad you are taking a leap of faith and fighting for what you want. I wish I'd fought more for your father."

"So you're ok with this? With Wilhelmina?" Daniel asked, almost shocked.

Claire gave a little laugh, "Of course, Daniel. All I've ever wanted is for my children to be happy. If this is what will make you happy, I'm happy. Wilhelmina and I…we'll get through it somehow. We may not be the best of friends, but the woman knows fashion and she knows how to sell a magazine. In this economy, she's what we need and we're lucky to have her."

"Wow," he replied. "Well…" he searched for the words he needed to say to his mother before he left the country. The last thing he wanted was for his mother to feel like he was deserting the family company.

"Daniel. It is ok. Go. Meade is still a part of our family and will continue to be so. You don't need to worry about that right now," she said, reaching up to kiss her son's cheek. "I love you. I'm proud of you. Call me when you get to London – just remember there's a time difference."

Daniel looked at his mother. "I have got to be the luckiest guy to have the greatest mother," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, mom. Thank you."

Claire squeezed him back, her heart all at once breaking a little yet bursting with thrill and excitement for her son's future. "You're welcome. I love you too, son. I love you, too." A tear escaped from her eyes as she pulled back. She quickly tried to wipe it away.

Daniel took a deep breath. "Well, I guess I'm off then." He turned to go.

Claire smiled. "Yes, you are. Goodbye, Daniel. Good luck and be careful with her."

"Bye, mom. I'll try. I've got a wreck to clean up when I get there. I'll call you when I get to my hotel."

With that he'd left and now, here he was. He was in London. He was in Betty's new home. Her city. He was here and he was only just beginning to realize he was starting a brand new chapter of his life. The events that had led him to London… They were entirely unpredictable. Or were they? He wasn't sure, but he was there to find out if his mother was right. He knew what he wanted and it was two-fold: a chance, just a chance to find out if that little seed of feelings he felt for Betty were real and if she reciprocated those feelings but he was also there to earn something of merit completely on his own. He just…hadn't thought past those two reasons to come to London. He'd simply resigned from Mode, spoken with his mother and made his plans to head to London. Suddenly…he was there.

With a little "advanced planning" (stalking…such a negative word), Daniel had found out Betty was near Trafalgar Square heading back to her office from a lunch meeting. He had planted himself in Trafalgar Square just waiting to spot her in the crowd. A quick move of his arm and she was blocked. After her initial shock, he was so glad to see she wasn't seething with frustration and anger. She had still seemed a little distant though. He knew he deserved it. They closed their conversation with the promise and hope of a dinner together.

He stopped at a bench in the park as he thought through the morning's events. The more he thought about the evening to come, he began to get nervous. "A far cry from anything I've ever been when it comes to women and my past," he thought to himself with a slight laugh. He knew she was probably going to hold his absence at her going away party over his head for a good while. That was Betty for you. He had his charm he could work over on her. It might work…for a few minutes, but he knew she'd call him out eventually. Whatever the case may be, Daniel simply wanted her to know he was sorry and hoped she would forgive him. He may even beg if he had to. He knew he'd screwed up big time.

The fact that he didn't know if they were one hundred percent "OK" was what made him more nervous than anything else. When you think you're on the verge of having some serious feelings for another person, you want to know you're in good standing with them. He was concerned the scale wasn't tipped in his favor at the moment.

A couple walked by in front of him just then, arm in arm. The woman had her head against the man's shoulder. She looked quite well dressed for the afternoon. She turned her head and Daniel's eyes grew. He blinked his eyes a few times.

"No way," he thought. "No possible way." He closed his eyes and rubbed his face, thinking the lack of sleep was catching up to him. He looked again. "Molly?" he said aloud.

"Yes, Daniel?" a voice said beside him.

Daniel froze. He knew that voice. His eyes shifted right to left. Surely he was imagining this.

"Daniel?" the voice asked again. "What is it?"

Slowly he turned his head to the side. Once again his eyes grew. "Molly?" he said incredulously. "What? How can this be? Not possible…"

She laughed. "Nope, it's me, Daniel."

He couldn't speak. There was no denying it wasn't Molly. Whether or not she was real or if he was on the verge of insanity...another question entirely. Yet there she seemed to be, sitting next to him dressed in that elegant red dress. The dress from The Closet. "How…?"

"You know, I'm not quite sure myself. But…for some reason I just know I'm supposed to be here right now. With you." she responded with a smile.

She looked beautiful, just as she had the night he'd taken her down to get that dress. "Well," he thought to himself, "If I'm going crazy, I may as well just go for it."

"Nice dress."

"Yeah, some rich jerk gave it to me for a charity event," she replied with a knowing smile.

"Hm. I heard the rich jerk was actually a pretty good guy."

Molly smiled and looked at him, "He was. He is. He truly was a good man. You ARE a good man, Daniel. I was lucky to have known him and have him in my life."

Daniel swallowed hard. This was getting intense very quickly. "Thank you," he managed to whisper.

Neither said anything for a moment. "I'm…I'm sorry I wasn't there…" Daniel told her, full of emotion.

"Daniel. Meade. Look at me. I. Don't. Blame. You. It's ok. We had our time and I will ALWAYS have those memories to hang on to. You will as well. In fact, I'm glad you weren't there bec-" He cut her off.

"What?"

"Let me finish," she replied. She moved her hand over his as it lay on his leg. "I think…that if you had been there… I just…I think it would have been ten times harder on you than it has already been."

Daniel thought for a moment. She was probably right. He'd already dealt with anger issues and fits of sleepless nights. He could only imagine what he would have been like if he'd been there to witness her last breaths.

"Maybe," he said, "Maybe you're right."

"Oh, you know I'm right, bucko," she said trying to lighten the mood. "I'm just glad you had someone there to help get you through this."

"Natalie?" Daniel laughed. "Really? Because she wasn't…"

"No, not Natalie. Though…talk about an interesting character. And what the heck was that with 'The Community'? Really, Daniel? Did you become that dense after I was gone?"

Daniel chuckled, "Well, apparently."

They both laughed.

"Well, regardless, that's not who I meant. I meant Betty," Molly stated.

His eyes snapped to hers, searching for meaning.

"Oh."

"You're lucky to know her, Daniel. She's been a good friend to you. You've been good to her as well."

Daniel looked up from staring at the ground as he soaked in her words.

"I could have been better. I was a real jerk right before she left."

Molly took Daniel's hands in hers. They were cold. It shocked Daniel a bit.

"Look at me," she said.

When he finally looked over at Molly she continued. "But you are here now. You can make this right, Daniel."

Daniel let out a sigh of frustration. "Sure, I can try. But Betty… I know I really hurt her whether she shows it or not." He paused, swallowing hard. "And…and I don't know if I can handle her holding disappointment and resentment towards me right now."

Molly smiled slightly. "And why is that?"

Daniel looked into Molly's eyes. They looked almost transparent. He felt a rush of a myriad of emotions - guilt, pain, angst, and sadness as he looked at her. He didn't think he could get the words out. "Because…because well…Molly, I…" He couldn't do it… This woman was his wife not all that long ago. How do you tell someone, your wife….your wife who is somehow here despite a tragic death…that you think you're in love with someone new?"

"Daniel," Molly stated quietly with a knowing voice. "It's ok. You think…you love her. Right?"

His eyes widened. "What?" How could she…? How could she know?

"Daniel Meade, if there's one thing you've never been good at, it's hiding your feelings behind a mask. Your face says everything. It's one thing I loved about you. And you know what? It's ok. THIS… Being here, coming after Betty. It's ok. In fact, I'm glad you're doing something about it."

Daniel couldn't believe what he was hearing. Surely this was some kind of huge joke being played on him. He thought back to what he'd eaten earlier in the day… Maybe his food had been laced with something because this was getting pretty trippy.

"You're kidding me, right?" he laughed slightly.

Molly shook her head. "No, Daniel. I'm serious. You need to move on. You need to find peace in your life. You made a huge step toward finding professional freedom and peace by stepping away from Mode. I WANT you to take this next step in your personal life. You need to find out if you really and truly have feelings…for Betty and if she loves you in return."

Daniel sat back in shock. They sat in silence for a few moments just watching people walk as the water of the Thames flowed past.

He couldn't believe what Molly was saying, but she seemed so content and at peace. He wanted that. Contentment and peace. And apparently…she was offering that to him. "I'd be a fool not to accept it," he thought to himself after several moments of contemplation.

He finally turned to look at Molly. Her hair was blowing gently in the breeze. She looked as beautiful as ever. He reached up to tuck a piece behind her ear. She smiled and leaned into his hand.

"So…this means you give me…us…your blessing to move forward?" he asked hesitantly.

Molly nodded and replied, "Yes. Absolutely. I give you my blessing, Daniel."

Daniel didn't know what to say. He simply leaned forward and hugged her frame. "Thank you, Molly," he whispered. His eyes began to tear up. "Thank you."

Molly squeezed him tight. "You're welcome, Daniel. Be happy. I love you…", her voice trailed off and suddenly she was gone.

"I love you too," he whispered to the wind.

Daniel sat there the rest of the afternoon finally coming to peace with Molly's death and beginning to think of the future.

Sitting at her desk, Betty was staring at her computer screen but not paying any attention to what was displayed. A noise repeatedly dinged that she had a message. She did not respond to it thus it continued.

Her mind was elsewhere. She knew there were many things to do – look over proofs, make sure shoots and contributors were on schedule with their input for the first issue of the new magazine, reply to emails from advertisers and interested parties, make calls to important contacts in London… The list went on. Betty's mind, however, was on something else entirely. Correction: make that someone else. A certain former playboy for whom she'd previously worked and had suddenly shown up in London that very day after a striking performance not too long ago as New York City's biggest jerk.

Betty replayed the scenario from earlier in the day in her mind. She was completely shocked to see Daniel. After the way things were left the night before she jetted off to London, he was one of the last people she expected to see.

"Not entirely true, Suarez," she chided herself out loud. Truth be told, being the optimist she was, she had been holding out hope for at least an email, a letter, a phone call in which things could have at least been smoothed out between them.

This was not at all what she expected. He completely threw her off. She didn't understand him. Adding to the mystique and mystery of his sudden appearance his reveal that he'd left Mode and Meade completely and she was mystified. Mystified, but all the same, he was her friend. That hadn't changed. He just had some serious explaining to do about a lot of things. To be concise, she was shocked to see him but curious and cautious to see what it all meant. She needed to find out who THIS Daniel Meade was. The Daniel Meade without Mode and Meade attached to him.

Ding, ding

Betty shook her head, focusing back on the computer.

MCKINNEYORIG: Hello from Scotland, Betty!

MCKINNEYORIG: B… Are you there?

MCKINNEYORIG: Ooooooh Betty…

MCKINNEYORIG: Are you ignoring your best friend? I'm hurt, Betty, really I am.

Ah Christina…

ButterflyB: Sorry, Christina. My mind is going in a hundred different directions. I guess I was "in the zone".

MCKINNEYORIG: Ah, there you are. Glad to know I'm not being purposefully ignored. How are you, friend?

ButterflyB: Presently… I'm ok. Things are going well preparing for the first issue. I'm just trying to stay on top of things but getting kind of…distracted.

MCKINNEYORIG: Distracted, eh? Is everything ok? Do I need to get out a bottle of whiskey and we can drink our sorrows away virtually? I'm always up for a drink, you know. J

ButterflyB: Haha. :-P No Christina. Plus, I'm at work.

MCKINNEYORIG: Well, you know… It was worth a try. So, what's going on?

ButterflyB: Well, I'm not quite sure.

MCKINNEYORIG: Not sure? How can you not be sure if you KNOW you're distracted?

ButterflyB: I don't know. Some things are just…odd and unexpected.

For a few moments Christina did not respond and Betty was relieved.

MCKINNEYORIG: Ok, girl. Spit it out. What's his name? It's got to be a guy. You're on top of everything with your magazine. This has to be something personal. I'm right, aren't I? It's a guy.

ButterflyB: Well, yes. It's something in my personal life but…

MCKINNEYORIG: Sooooo, what is it?

ButterflyB: Ummm…

MCKINNEYORIG: Out with it now!

ButterflyB: It's Daniel.

MCKINNEYORIG: Oooh. Daniel. What's his last name?

ButterflyB: Meade.

MCKINNEYORIG: Daniel Meade? What do you mean? What is it about him that has you distracted?

ButterflyB: Um… He's kind of here…in London. I just saw him earlier today. He…wants to get dinner to talk things over. Apologize maybe?

MCKINNEYORIG: Wow.

ButterflyB: I know, right? I have no idea what is going on. I mean, of course I was glad to see him after being shocked initially. But what in the world made him think he had to come all the way to London to resolve things? I just… I didn't know what to say. So I told him yes, we could have dinner. What does that even mean?

MCKINNEYORIG: I think I need a drink…

ButterflyB: Well, that's not the biggest thing – he LEFT Mode. Gave it to Wilhelmina. Another HUGE shock.

MCKINNEYORIG: I think I have a new drinking game – every time you say shock, I drink.

ButterflyB: Oh, Christina. I suppose I shouldn't be SHOCKED by that. J

MCKINNEYORIG: Down the hatch!

ButterflyB: That isn't the biggest shock…mystery. He said something about staying around London for a little while instead of going back to New York.

MCKINNEYORIG: Staying in London? Whatever for? Should I prepare myself for another shock? J

ButterflyB: Yes.

MCKINNEYORIG: Bottle in hand. Proceed.

ButterflyB: He said… He left Mode because he realized he'd never earned anything on his own because even Mode had been given to him by his family (big SHOCK, I know). He said he wanted to earn something on his own. To work for it. And that I inspired him to do just that.

MCKINNEYORIG: Wow.

ButterflyB: I know. I mean, I'm glad I inspired him and it's so good to see how far he's come since I first met him. It just doesn't all add up, you know? He made a lot of BIG decisions so quickly. He left EVERYTHING behind. Why London? Why give up EVERYTHING in New York? He could have found something there, been near his mom.

MCKINNEYORIG: Yeah. I don't know, Betty. He might need some sense knocked into him. He's needed that more than once and you've straightened him out. Maybe your dinner will give you a chance to do that.

ButterflyB: Yeah. Maybe. I just want to understand. Our conversation was so short when I bumped into him – oh and speaking of, bumping into him – it was like he'd planted himself there purposefully. That's just…weird. I hope he's not on something again…

MCKINNEYORIG: Ah yes. We all know how well that goes with him. Maybe that's what's triggered his behavior.

ButterflyB: I hope not. And now that it's been brought up, now I KNOW I've got to go tonight. Just to make sure he's not making stupid choices. I don't want to see him regress to who he once was.

MCKINNEYORIG: I know. Be careful, Butterfly. J I'm sure you'll get the truth out of him somehow. You know him well; he can't hide too much from you.

ButterflyB: Got that right. He'd better be ready for an inquisition tonight.

MCKINNEYORIG: That's my girl. Take care, Betty. And let me know what happens…any shockers. J

ButterflyB: Will do. Thanks, Christina. Miss you.

MCKINNEYORIG: Anytime. Miss you too – we will have to get together soon.

ButterflyB: Absolutely. Talk to you soon.

MCKINNEY: Until next time…

Betty closed out of the conversation. She was hyper focused now. Ready to finish her day of work and then off to do something she was accustomed to – straightening out Daniel Meade's life. Not as his assistant, but as a friend who knew him well – probably better than he knew himself.

Daniel had called Betty's office later in the afternoon to discuss dinner, but she'd been busy. Her assistant had taken a message and had told him that her boss, Ms. Suarez would be there. He smiled. Betty being called someone's boss and Ms. Suarez at that. How far she's come.

Presently he stood near Canary Wharf where he was meeting Betty. He felt his phone ringing in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened it not minding to look at the name.

"Daniel Meade here."

"Daniel? It's Betty." She sounded in a rush.

"Betty? What? Why are you? Is everything ok?" he asked, his heart suddenly pounding in his chest. Was she backing out on him? Was she safe?

"Daniel, I'm fine. I just… Ow. Ow."

She was in pain. "Ok, where are you? You're not ok."

He heard her sigh. He knew that sigh well. She was probably rolling her eyes as well. "I'm FINE, Daniel. I just broke a heel, that's all. I'm going to be a few minutes late. I'm not very far away, but I'm buying some shoes at this very… Oh, thank you..."

She was paying. He breathed a sigh of relief and began looking around for her.

"Ok, like I said. I'm not far away and you could probably spot me a hundred miles away at this point."

Daniel laughed. "Why is that?"

"Oh trust me, you'll know it's me when I get there," she replied sounding very exasperated.

Daniel turned to look down the road. Several yards away a figure stood in the middle of the street trying to gain their bearings once more as they looked up and down the street. Clearly not a native Londoner…yet. The figure stood wearing a black skirt and bright blue shirt. As for the shoes, they weren't what one might expect on one who appeared to be going out for the night. Nope, brightly colored neon green converse certainly did not fit that category.

Daniel just watched her, shaking his head and smiling. Ah, this was the Betty he knew. That was his Betty. Same as ever.

She turned her eyes stopped on him. She noticed him chuckling to himself.

"Very funny, Daniel, I know. Can we just keep the laughing at a minimum? Please?" she asked as she came closer.

"Nice to see you too," he laughed.

She looked up at him. "Fine. I'm sorry. It's good to see you. But you owe me now. I broke a shoe and now I'm starving, so feed me. Then we can chat once I have something in my system."

"Yes, ma'am. Right this way," Daniel responded, offering her his arm.

Betty looked at him for a moment but then wove her arm through his. "Where to, boss?" she said absentmindedly.

Daniel laughed, "Boss? Betty? Really? I should be saying that to you."

She started to laugh, "Ah, sorry. Old habits die hard, I guess. But really, where are we eating?"

"It's a place called Wahaca. Mexican. Hopefully it's good."

"I'll be the judge of that." she replied with a smile.

They entered the restaurant and were seated at a table near the back along the wall. There were windows that looked out to the Thames. It was a beautiful view.

The waiter soon came and they ordered their drinks, red wine for both plus water for Betty.

As Daniel watched her peruse the menu, he realized how nervous he truly was. She hadn't completely forgiven him. She'd never said the words "It's ok, Daniel. We're ok." He swallowed hard, realizing he was still on thin ice with her. "Liquid courage, my friend. Down the hatch," he thought as he reached for his glass. "Refined liquid courage, that is."

As he brought the drink to his lips, he thought he heard Betty mumbling something and he strained forward to hear her.

"Focus, Betty. Focus. Its just Daniel. You're here to make sure he's not on anything, make sure he's straightened out. Figure out why in the heck he is here of all places…"

She continued with her words, quietly behind her menu but what he heard was enough to cause him to drop the glass. It went down right beside him, the red liquid almost bouncing out of the cup and into the air as if in slow motion. Thankfully, most of it landed on the floor beside him, but his shirt was not spared several from splatters.

"Damnit," he shouted, now getting angry with himself.

Betty hopped up. "What happened? What is it, Daniel?" Then she saw his predicament. She tried not to laugh.

"Trouble holding your alcohol, Daniel?"

He looked up at her attempting to keep a straight face. She had a look of innocence on her face, feigning a serious expression.

"I mean really, can you be taken out anywhere in public?"

"You'll pay for that," he replied, unable to contain himself anymore. He joined her in laughter. It was good to hear her laugh.

Their waiter arrived then and took their orders.

"Really," Betty prodded. "Are you ok?"

"Me? Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't I be? Why do you ask? It's me. Daniel. I'm perfectly fine. What makes you think I'm not ok?" Daniel replied, failing on an epic scale to appear in control while inside he was practically living in a world of chaos, not knowing what to do or say next.

"Ok, ok. You're fine. Sorry I asked," Betty replied. "New topic. How is your mother? Does she even know you're planning on staying around here?"

"Yeah, of course. She's great. She knows I'm here," Daniel said. "In fact, she thinks it's great."

"She does, huh? How is she handling Wilhelmina being in charge of Mode? I can only see cat fights at every turn with the two of them."

Daniel laughed. "Well, yes, I'm sure there will be those every now and then. It's the oddest thing though, Betty. Wilhelmina and my mother were civil with each other at every meeting I attended with the two of them as Mode prepared for my departure and Wilhelmina's takeover as editor. I really think they can take the magazine and even the company to the next level with their partnership."

"Wow. I'd say I'm shocked, but somehow I can see them doing great things together, as you say. Provided Wilhelmina doesn't get into any more of her schemes, that is. And speaking of schemes, where did all of the shifts leave Marc?"

"Oh. Marc, he got promoted to creative director. I think he'll do a tremendous job in that position."

"That's phenomenal. I'm so happy for him. He really deserves it. He's a good person," Betty said, thinking back on all Marc has actually done for her and her family, especially Justin.

"He is. But anyway…"

"Wait… Daniel. I have to ask you something," Betty began. Her demeanor changed and she was looking directly at him. Time to get to the point. She didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. Time to get down to business.

"What is it, Betty? It's like you've gone into business mode or something. Focused and you're not going to stray from the point. Then again…I know you and when you want to know something or do something, there's no stopping you. Let's have it…" Daniel replied, hoping there was still some liquid courage bubbling up inside him.

"Well. It's about your mother. At my going away party at Mode…"

Daniel dropped his head into his hands. "Betty, I am so sorry about that. I was such a jerk. I don't know what else I can say. Seriously. Lived with feeling so guilty for shutting you out that night and I know I shouldn't have…"

"Um, excuse me, sir," a voice said. "I have…your meal."

Daniel shot up in his seat, embarrassed. "Oh, right. Sorry. Thank you."

The waiter placed their food in front of them. Daniel avoided looking at Betty as best he could.

"You really are becoming a drama king, you know that?" He heard her say, stifling a laugh.

Daniel closed his eyes, trying to hide his smile. "Says the woman wearing the bright green converse."

He finally dared look up and he saw the laughter in her dark brown eyes. They both burst out laughing, the second time that evening.

Finally gaining control of themselves, he finally decided to let her approach the question once more. "So what is it you were asking? About my mother?"

"Right. Um, she said… She told me that you losing me was…" Betty paused mid sentence as if she were trying to regain her thoughts, keep her words on the right track. Looking up from her food, she finished. "She said losing me was hard for you. And that you didn't know why. Yet."

Daniel put down his silverware and swallowed hard. How was he supposed to respond? His mother knew him well. She was certainly right. It was hard.

"Daniel? What did she mean?" Betty asked, looking genuinely puzzled by his mother's statement.

"Oh, you know my mother. You know I got the drama from her. And hey – I did say I couldn't live without you, right?" he laughed, trying to breeze past her question.

"Daniel, come on. Spit it out." Betty said, crossing her arms. The inquisition had begun.

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well… I mean… Betty, I guess. I told you I didn't want to hold you back and yeah, it was hard, especially having you resign and leave so soon."

"I'm sorry…" she began.

"No, no," he interrupted her. "I'm the one who is sorry here. I should have been more supportive and have shown up at your going away party. Betty, you deserved better and I apologize. After all, you're the one who inspired me. Remember the blobby awards? You do intimidate the heck out of me with all you've done with your life in such a short time. You're the reason I'm here…" his voice trailed off.

Betty's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

Daniel laughed nervously. "Um, what I meant to say was you're the one who inspired me to start over, to come here. Like I said earlier this afternoon. I want to accomplish something with my life, but on my own, not because of my name. I wanted to start over somewhere new, but I couldn't just throw a dart and go anywhere. I knew I'd need a support system and I just happened to know that one of those important people in my support system just happened to be living out her dream in London which is not so far away from Paris where my sister and DJ and well…it just seemed perfect."

Betty looked taken aback. Flustered might be the right word.

"Betty? Are you ok? Say something."

She blinked her eyes and willed words to come out. "I…I don't know… I don't know what to say."

"Well, I just have to say thank you. Thank you for getting me off my rich rear end and for the encouragement to try something new."

Betty's expression softened. "You're welcome, Daniel. I know there's something out there just waiting for you to dream up and make a reality. And…it's also good to know you're not on drugs or anything."

Daniel took a bite of his food. "Excuse me? Drugs?"

"Oh you know… Going off and resigning from Mode, traveling across the Atlantic, leaving everything in New York behind… You've been known to jet off to other countries before in the midst of a crisis you just didn't want to face. Need I remind you of Rio and your cheeto tan?"

"Ok, ok. I don't have the best history of making good spur of the moment decisions. But, I feel like this is a good one. A step in the right direction. I will admit though, I'm a bit lost on the next step now that I am here."

Betty smiled knowingly. "I know that feeling. I'll tell you what a wise teenager once told me. It may be hard to know when or where to take the next step, but when it is time, you'll just know."

Daniel leaned forward, his eyes looking directly into hers. "Thank you, Betty. Really. I wouldn't be here without you. Finally making something of myself…making myself better."

"You're a good person, Daniel. You'll find what you're looking for. I know it's out there somewhere, just waiting."

Neither said anything for a few moments and Betty grew uncomfortable. "Ok then.

I'm finished, are you? It's time to go," she said in a rush.

Daniel barely had time to finish his last bite of food before she grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the restaurant.

Clearly, something was bothering her now. He could tell. As she dragged him out along the street, he hoped he hadn't said too much. He didn't think he had. Was telling a girl who you hadn't seen in several weeks and had been a jerk to the last time you saw her that she is the reason you are in a new place too much? Really? He hoped she wasn't about to shut him out with a bunch of fake conversation as she'd done in the past when she was upset with him.

While he'd been lost in thought, she'd brought them into a bar and now he found himself standing near a stage with a mic in his hand.

"Come on, we're up," she said with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Wait, what?" he asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. He looked around at the bar…

"Come on, Daniel. Let's go."

"But…I can't…"

"YES. YOU. CAN. Now move your butt up those steps! NOW!" she commanded, taking charge of the situation.

Reaching the center of the stage, she nodded her head at the man in the booth nearby.

The beginnings of a familiar song began to drift across the space.

Betty elbowed him and he stood up straight, a smile beginning to spread across his face. He looked down at her as she began to sing…

"They say we're young and we don't know, we won't find out until we grow. Well I don't know if all that's true, cause you got me and baby I got you…"

She turned to look at him, a forgiving look in her eyes. He smiled back, a sense of relief overflowing inside him. They were ok. She forgave him. This was her way of telling him things were going to be just fine between them. They both sang…

"Babe, I got you babe, I got you babe."

Daniel laughed and continued the song, remembering the last time he'd sung this song or even heard it for that matter. Snails. Paparazzi. Giselle. Pizza. The bridge. Better than a model. That was a good night. One he'd never forget. This was a good night. Things just might be looking up. He had his best friend, back by his side.

_They say our love won't pay the rent  
Before it's earned, our money's all been spent  
I guess that's so, we don't have a pot  
But at least I'm sure of all the things we got_

Babe  
I got you babe  
I got you babe

I got flowers in the spring  
I got you to wear my ring  
And when I'm sad, you're a clown  
And if I get scared, you're always around

Don't let them say your hair's too long  
'Cause I don't care, with you I can't go wrong  
Then put your little hand in mine  
There ain't no hill or mountain we can't climb

Babe  
I got you babe  
I got you babe

I got you to hold my hand  
I got you to understand  
I got you to walk with me  
I got you to talk with me

I got you to kiss goodnight  
I got you to hold me tight  
I got you, I won't let go  
I got you to love me so

I got you babe  
I got you babe  
I got you babe  
I got you babe  
I got you babe

**Next eppy coming within the next 3 to 4 weeks thanks please and alert :)**


	3. S05E02: Friend is a Four Letter Word

Friend is a Four Letter Word

Betty Suarez adjusted her stylish glasses and continued reading to her captivated audience. "No matter what crossroads you may be at, no matter how many rejections you may endure, remember that you are a smart, confident, successful person. And you can do anything you set your mind to." She looked up from her paper expectantly. The applause that met her ears let her know how deeply her words were appreciated. She let out a sigh of relief, the corners of her lips turning up into a broad smile.

"Brilliant, Betty," a sharply-dressed woman in her forties said.

"Amazing work for your first letter as EIC," added a bespectacled gentleman in a plaid sweater vest.

"Thank you." Betty tried to make her grin less obvious. It was such a change to have a group of her peers actually appreciating her work, as opposed to _Mode _where almost every one of her ideas had been met with ridicule and scorn. Betty glanced down at her neon pink butterfly-shaped watch. "That's a wrap for today, ladies and gentlemen. Let's arrive bright and early tomorrow morning to go over our cover story."

There was the quiet murmuring of voices as Betty's supportive subordinates filed out of the conference room. Betty collected her belongings and made a beeline for the door. She was halfway back to her office when she felt her cell phone vibrating in the pocket of her oversized cardigan. Thinking it might be Daniel, she flipped it open eagerly. "Sushi tonight?" she asked into the mouthpiece.

"God, I can't believe you eat raw fish," returned a voice that was unmistakably _not _Daniel.

"Hilda?" Given the cost of long-distance phone calls, the sisters had been communicating mostly through emails, instant messaging and, more recently, webcam. Hilda had to have an important reason for calling Betty. "What's going on?"

"I haven't been able to reach Papi all day. For all I know, he's fallen and hurt himself, and there's no one there to help him." Hilda's voice reached a fevered pitch.

"Papi called me several hours ago and told me he was going to the farmers' market today and then out to lunch with some friends." Betty entered her office, trying to figure out how fast it would take her to go home, change her clothes, and meet Daniel at his hotel room for dinner. Hilda's problem seemed the least of her concerns at the moment. What could she do from England, anyways?

"Friends? Papi doesn't have friends. This does not sound good."

Betty held the phone away from her head to avoid any possible hearing loss from Hilda's shouting. "Papi _does_ have friends. Besides, who's to say he hasn't made some new ones since we both moved out?"

There was a pause on the line, as if Hilda was weighing the possibilities. "See, I knew this would happen," she finally hissed.

Betty tossed her portfolio into the bottom drawer of her desk. "What's happened?"

"We move out, and he gets involved with the wrong sorts of people. Sure, first it's just lunch, but soon it turns into partying and booze and women and—"

"What are you going on about?"

"I told you we shouldn't have both moved out at once—"

"What?" Betty squawked. She certainly did not remember that conversation. Both she and Hilda had been eager to move out and start a new chapter of their life.

"But you were so determined to go to London ..."

"Hilda," Betty managed to silence her ranting. "You're my sister, which is why I have no trouble in telling you that _you're crazy_!" Betty hung up the phone before her sibling could interject. She promised herself she would call her sister back later. In the meantime, she needed to take the soonest tube to her flat. Daniel might feel slighted if she showed up late for dinner.

Daniel's and her relationship was still on tenterhooks after their unpleasant parting several months ago in New York. They were slowly and surely repairing the damage, but they were still extra sensitive about certain issues. The slightest joke or jab about her job put Betty in a sour mood, and Daniel resented any time she was late showing up for one of their excursions, especially if it was her magazine keeping her overtime. And any time they had the minutest argument, Betty was seized with the fear that Daniel would leave her and go back home to New York. She needn't have worried. If anything, Daniel was terrified Betty would grow tired of him and send him away. And then she would never know how he truly felt about her.

Daniel wondered when he had become so ugly. None of the dozen of outfits he had tried on looked good on him, and since he knew Armani didn't make unflattering clothes, it had to be the clothes-wearer at fault. He sighed in exasperation and flung his pinstriped suit coat onto the hotel bed. Then he flung himself onto the bed, disrupting several articles of clothing. He had to pick _something_. He couldn't very well go to dinner in his current ensemble of boxers and tee-shirt. Not only would the restaurant disapprove, but worse, so would Betty. She wouldn't want to see her surrogate "brother" in his underwear.

Daniel gritted his teeth. When would she see him as something more than a friend? He had thought when he'd asked her to dinner his first day in London that they were taking a step further in their relationship. But ever since that evening, besides the occasional moment of doubt, everything between them had been so very normal. So very _platonic. _He had known that winning Betty's heart would be the most difficult endeavor of his life, but he hadn't realized how hard it would be until he actually started courting her without her knowledge.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel continued searching for the perfect ensemble. He finally settled on a lavender dress-shirt, leaving the first three buttons unfastened, and khaki slacks. It was casual enough for a pub but dressy enough for something classier like a bistro. Though, to be honest, he was in the mood for sushi. He hoped Betty knew a good place to get the cuisine.

He had just finished running a comb through his hair when he heard a knock on his door. Daniel suddenly felt like a teenager on his first date. "This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself. "It's just Betty." _It's just the woman of your dreams._

He swung open the door to reveal Betty in a pink and white butterfly-print sundress with matching wristwatch. He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked, but all he got out was a feeble, "Hey."

"Hi." She self-consciously swiped her bangs behind her ear.

They stared awkwardly at each other for a moment and then spoke in unison, "How about sushi?" They burst out laughing, and Daniel felt his nervousness evaporate.

"I know the perfect place." Betty grabbed his hand and led him out of the hotel and onto the congested London pavement. Daniel didn't object. In fact, he was disappointed when she let go of his hand to hail a taxicab.

They soon found themselves at a contemporary sushi bar on the outskirts of Soho far from the disreputable and derelict shops that gave Soho such a bad name. As it was quite early yet for Londoners to have their supper, they were seated quickly at a table overlooking the streets. Dusk was falling, and one by one the city lights flickered on, like hundreds of fireflies sparkling in the summer air.

"So how's the job search coming?" Betty asked through sips of her green tea.

Daniel played with his chopsticks. "Not very well. Apparently nobody wants to hire an unqualified schlub like me." He gave her a self-deprecating smile.

"Don't say that! You're not a schlub. You're smart and creative, and many employers would feel proud to have you on their team."

Daniel felt himself warm at her words. "Well, I appreciate your confidence in me, but I don't think the rest of the world shares your enthusiasm."

Betty hated seeing Daniel so down on himself. He had suffered from an inferiority complex his entire life, always trying to get out of his brother Alex's shadow and live up to his father's extremely high expectations of him. Daniel had come a long way in his confidence since she first had met him, but every now and again, he needed a reminder of what a wonderful person he truly was. "It's not you're fault. It's the economy. Hilda can't find a position as a hairdresser either, and we know she's qualified!"

Daniel raised his hands in acquiesce. "Okay, okay. I won't give up."

Betty beamed and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. "That's better."

Daniel felt the pressure of her hand long after it left his shoulder. "I've got a dozen or so job sites I'm visiting tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes."

Their food arrived, and the next several minutes were quiet as they paid rapt attention to their meal. Feeling encouraged at the physical contact they had shared that evening, Daniel casually tried to steal a piece of her seaweed and shrimp sushi from right off her plate. Betty thwarted his plans by playfully slapping his hand away.

"Come on," he cajoled, "just one bite. I'll let you have one of mine."

Betty consented and handed over a roll, and she even let Daniel feed her a piece, though she felt like a baby for it. She didn't realize his actual motive.

Daniel couldn't believe his luck. They were flirting! Before he could check himself, he was grinning from ear to ear. Was it possible that they were finally taking their relationship to the next level?

"What are you smiling about?" Betty's curious tone invaded his happy thoughts.

"Erm . . . I was just thinking . . . how nice it was that we're finally getting comfortable in each other's company again." It was a half-truth, at least. "I was worried for a while that I had blown it."

"I know," she happily agreed. "It's like nothing happened between us _at all_. We're just the same good friends that we used to be."

Daniel felt his enthusiasm wane. "Yeah, just like we used to be," he repeated, hoping she couldn't hear the bitterness in his voice.

Despite the outcome of their dinner, Daniel still felt positive and ready for his job hunt the next morning. "You are a smart, confident, successful businessman," he recited in front of the mirror. He adjusted the knot of his royal purple tie and nodded in satisfaction. This was it. This was the day he would get his new job. He could _feel _it. Daniel slipped on his grey suit coat, gathered his stack of applications, and headed out the door.

The HR person at the first site, the National Gallery, was polite but firm. "I'm sorry, we're not hiring at the moment. But we'll keep your application on file for a few months." Daniel had been in the working world long enough to know that meant, "You haven't a chance in hell. Go away."

The next four stops were equally discouraging. "I say, young man, do you know _any_thing about English currency?" (The National Bank of England). "Aren't you overqualified?" (The coffee shop). "Aren't you under-qualified?" (A manufacturing company nestled between London and Windsor.) "Ha ha ha ha ha." (_The Times_ newspaper).

Once his applications were all handed out, Daniel spent the next few hours following up on the establishments to which he had already applied during previous trips. The answers were variations on a theme.

"Sorry, the position has already been filled."

"Thank you for applying, but we've elected not to hire anyone at this time."

"Sorry . . ."

"Sorry . . ."

_Bang! _(That was an office door slamming in his face).

Feeling like the worst failure in the world, Daniel trudged dolefully back toward his hotel. He understood the reasoning behind some of the rejections. After all, he was a single, white male with plenty of his family's money to fall back on if required. Employers were liable to give the job to someone in worse need than him, but it still seemed so brutally unfair. How was he to prove himself if no one gave him a chance?

He kicked a piece of rubbish and ignored the chiding of an elderly woman. He walked on and on for many blocks, too depressed to even consider taking a bus or the tube. He was almost home when he happened to glance up and notice the _Help Wanted _sign posted in the window of a bistro he'd eaten at several times. Knowing he had nothing to lose, he entered to fill out an application.

The manager sized him up. "You looking for a job, mate?"

"Yeah."

"You ever waited on tables before?"

Daniel felt dread bubbling up in his stomach. "No."

"You're hired."

"So you got a job?" Betty asked into her phone, as she juggled it, a cup of coffee, an overstuffed portfolio and her laptop.

"Yep, I start tomorrow evening." The pride was evident in Daniel's voice.

"Well, I'd do a dance for joy, but my hands are full at the moment." Betty managed to set her coffee down, but not before spilling a considerable amount on the conference table. "Shoot."

"Is this a bad time?"

"Kinda." Betty hesitated, not sure if she should spring her disappointing news now or later. She decided now was better than never and plunged ahead. "Listen, I don't think I'll be able to do dinner tonight. We've got a truckload of things to go over for the magazine—"

"Don't you mean lorry-load?"

"What?"

"Sorry, I was trying to do British humor. I guess I failed." Daniel tried to keep his voice upbeat, so she wouldn't know how upset he was about the dinner cancellation. Going to dinner together had become their ritual ever since he arrived in London. He had hoped tonight they could go somewhere even more special in celebration of his job.

"Are you upset?" Betty knew him so well.

"No," he said quickly and a tad too defensively. "Maybe a little," he conceded.

"We can meet up Thursday for lunch if you like." Daniel readily agreed, and the two said their farewells. "I'll call you with lunch plans later," Betty promised before hanging up.

Daniel wondered if this was how their lives would be from now on: Betty always busy with a hundred things to do and he always waiting to spend some time with her.

Daniel arrived ten minutes early for his job, dressed in a starched white shirt, his best Italian loafers and his second best pair of black slacks (the dress code for the bistro). The manager gave him a few instructions then released him to the care and tutelage of an employee named Franklin.

"Hey, Frank." Daniel extended his arm for a handshake.

"It's _Franklin_, not _Frank_," the guy corrected him in a seriously thick cockney accent.

"Sorry," Daniel mumbled as he flushed with embarrassment.

"Not a problem, _Danny._ Lemme show ya' what you're gonna be doin.' You'll be sorta our Jack-of-all-trades to begin wif. You'll do a liddle of fis, a liddle of fat." Franklin led Daniel through the process of waiting tables first. They practiced in the backroom, Franklin acting as a patron, until Daniel was fairly certain he had it down.

Then they went on to busing tables. Despite Franklin's accent, Daniel was able to pick up most of the instructions. "Naw you try fat table over fere." Franklin pointed at a cluttered and dirty table.

Daniel went over to the designated table, suddenly very much aware of the patrons in the restaurant. _Why couldn't they have trained me before the restaurant opened?_ he thought. He carefully began piling the dirty dishes into his cart, grimacing every time he touched a slimy or encrusted piece of food. Then he gingerly picked up the silverware by their handles, as if they were contaminated with fatal diseases, which for all he knew they were, and slid them into the appropriate bins.

"Nah, not like fat!" Franklin rushed over in time to toss the glassware helter-skelter into the cart. The cups made a clatter that disrupted the few early dinner guests, but Franklin didn't seem to notice, or maybe he didn't' care. "You can't take all day dumpin' dirty dishes, mate. Fere's more important fings to attend to."

"Fings like waitin' tables?" Daniel asked eagerly. "I mean _things_."

Franklin didn't seem to notice Daniel's slip. "If you're lucky, but for now let's leave fat job to the experts. I was more talkin' about washin' dishes!"

So Daniel spent the first few hours of business dumping dirty dishes into a tub of greasy water. He cringed every time the dishes hit the water with a slimy splash. Once his cart was filled, he took them back to the kitchen to wash. He found it most inconvenient that the normal dishwasher was out sick with the flu that night. Franklin warned him that dishwashers frequently came down with illnesses, and Daniel couldn't blame them. His smooth—and manicured!—gentleman's hands were raw and rough after the first batch.

To add insult to injury, his manager walked by just as he was finishing the first load and told him they weren't clean enough for code. "You have to really get at 'em, Dan." The manager slapped him on the back, causing the wind to be knocked out of him, and went about his business.

Daniel stared at the dishes, trying to see the sane grime that his manager did. All he saw were a few specks of food here and there. Surely, that would come off in the industrial dishwashing machine? Besides, what was the point of an electric dishwasher if you had to wash everything manually ahead of time? When no one was looking, he slipped the clean-enough dishes into the machine. Just then, Franklin arrived with a new cart of dirty dishware, and Daniel groaned.

Towards the end of the night, after the mad rush of supper, Daniel felt brave enough to approach his manager and beg to do a waiting job. The manager surveyed him shrewdly then gave his consent. Elated, Daniel tossed off his greasy apron, grabbed a pen and paper, and approached the only couple left to be served.

"Hello, my name is Server. I'll be your Daniel this evening," he began. He felt his face redden for not the first time that night. "I mean—"

"Look at that, Mary, we've got ourselves a sodding Yank," the male customer said in amusement.

Daniel had heard that certain Europeans were not inclined to like Americans, but he had dismissed that as a myth perpetuated by those jealous few who had never had the chance to visit a Europe. Now he wasn't so sure. "Erm, yes I am. Anyways, I can offer a wide selection of alcoholic beverages . . ."

"We'll have the Pink and Perky. That comes with a side of Uncle Fred and Johnny Rutter, right?" Mary interrupted with what he detected was an impish tone.

Daniel went over the entrees in his head but couldn't recall any such item on the menu. "Um . . . e-e-excuse me?"

"Are you daft, mate?" the man nearly shouted. "You heard her."

Daniel thought it best not to pursue the conversation and went over to the host's station to grab a menu. He frantically combed through it looking for the Pink and Rutter or whatever it was they had said. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the patrons chuckling into their napkins. So he was being made sport of, eh?

He angrily tore into the kitchen, yelling, "Two Pink and Perky and something-about-Freddy-Rutter."

The chef laughed. "Okay. Turkey and bread and butter, coming up!"

Daniel's face must have shown utter bafflement, because Franklin came over to explain. "It's Cockney lingo. You replace words wif ones fat rhyme."

His face clouded with even more confusion. "Why?"

Franklin shrugged. He opened his mouth to respond, but the manager bustled into the room. He was clutching a sullied fork with dried cheese caked on its tines and a water glass with an almost imperceptible lipstick stain on the rim.

"Who was doing the dishes tonight?" he demanded. All eyes turned to Daniel. The manager's angry expression softened for an instance. "Oh." He dumped the dirty dishware into the sink. "Can someone get a clean fork and glass to the lady customer out front?"

Franklin dashed off to complete the task, whilst the other workers in the kitchen turned their heads to avoid the lecture Daniel was about to receive. "That's why we wash things so thoroughly," the manager merely explained. Daniel wasn't sure if he had been reassigned to dish duty or not, so he stood halfway between the swinging kitchen door and the sink. Finally the manager glared at him. "Get a move on, then!"

Properly penitent, Daniel grabbed the freshly prepared turkey dinner and bread rolls and scurried out front. His hands shook with adrenaline and fear as he balanced the cumbersome trays of food on each hand. He had taken barely five steps when he felt his foot catch on something, and before he could right himself, both he and the food flew through the air and landed with a deafening crash. The entire restaurant stared on in horrified silence.

Sprawled on the ground, Daniel looked back to see what had tripped him. He realized with chagrin that his own apron, which he had carelessly tossed into a chair earlier, was now lying in the middle of the main walkway from the kitchen to the dining room. Mortified, he slowly pulled himself off the floor and began picking up the broken dishes.

Franklin appeared at his side to help. "Don't worry. Fis happens to the best of us."

"Really? You've dumped an entire meal on the floor before?" Daniel sarcastically drawled.

Franklin looked sheepish. "Well, no, but we've all broken our share of dishes."

Daniel couldn't believe his ill luck. The floor, adjoining tables and chairs and even the ceiling had been splattered with potatoes and gravy. The turkey was the only part of the meal that hadn't escaped. It sat like a lump, congealed in its own gravy to the shattered plates. The dinner rolls were scattered around the restaurant, and as a waitress came out with a mop and pail, she slipped on one and landed on her rump, the sudsy water sloshing everywhere.

Suddenly, the patrons began to titter. Their tittering became laughter, and soon the entire staff had joined in. The entire staff minus Daniel. He found the manager, who was apologizing profusely to the customers, and took him aside.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this job," Daniel admitted.

"Are you sure?" the manager asked, even though he looked relieved.

Daniel surveyed the room, his calloused hands and his Italian loafers, soiled with mashed potatoes and gravy, the leather completely destroyed. "Yeah, I'm sure. You can take my days wages to pay for this mess." He stared at the manager squarely in the eyes. "I quit."

"YOU QUIT YOUR JOB?" Betty's spoon clattered into her pea soup, sending droplets of green in every direction. They were eating at the restaurant located on the top floor of her work building. It was the easiest way for Betty to escape the office for an hour but still be in running distance if a calamity should occur in her absence.

"Keep your voice down," Daniel hissed, feeling the stares of several bystanders. "And what's the big deal, anyways?"

"WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?" Betty's voice was louder, if at all possible. "You quit your job, Daniel. After _one day!_"

"I _know_ that." Daniel peevishly moved the food around his plate, not daring to make eye contact with Betty. "But it's not like I left an _important_ job. I was a busboy, for God's sake." He glanced up at her, his blue eyes flashing defiantly. "Can you really see me as a busboy?"

Betty hesitated for a fraction of a second. "I think you can be whatever you set your mind to," she finally said in falsely chipper tone.

"Don't give me that bull. I wasn't cut out for the food industry. But I didn't know that until I tried it. Now I know, and I'll avoid any further job offers from that end." Daniel angrily shoved a piece of meat into his mouth, hoping that would be the end of the discussion.

Betty seemed to have calmed down slightly. "I understand how frustrating and humiliating last night must have been—" Daniel opened his mouth to protest but she continued, "But you're setting up a bad precedent for yourself. Are you going to quit every time the job gets a little rough?"

"'A little rough?' Betty, it was an unmitigated disaster!"

"In your eyes it was, and the next time something doesn't go according to your plans, will you quit again?" Betty heatedly tossed her napkin down onto the table. Why couldn't he understand the dangerous path he was heading down?

Daniel felt heat rise to his face. "That's not fair. I'm not a quitter, and you know it." Betty looked down at her now cold soup. "Or maybe you don't know," he concluded. "Is that it? You still see me as my old playboy self, not committed to anything or anyone." Her silence wounded him worse than her accusations. He reached across the table and grasped her hand, hoping she would look at him. "I've changed, Betty, truly I have."

Betty met his gaze and forced a smile. "I know that, Daniel. I see the difference every day. I only said what I did because I love you."

Daniel felt like a balloon was rising in his chest, threatening to burst out and soar away. His pulse quickened, and he struggled to control his voice. "I-I wasn't aware."

Betty blinked at him in surprise then glanced at his hand clasping hers. For some unknown reason, she turned as crimson as her designer blouse. "Um, yeah. I love you like a brother, you know? You're my _best friend_.**"

Daniel felt the balloon deflate. "I would never do anything to hurt you," she was saying.

_Not intentionally, _he thought dejectedly. Suddenly, he couldn't stand being in the same room as her. It hurt too much.

He let go of her hand and rose. "I got to go." He tossed some bills on the table. "That should cover my meal."

"Daniel, where are you going?" He didn't respond, and Betty worriedly bit her lip as she watched her friend turn and walk away, never looking back.

Fortunately for Betty, she had little time to ponder over Daniel's mysterious behavior. The magazine kept her busy for the rest of the afternoon. That evening she had planned a meeting via webcam with Amanda, and her friend's wacky antics were sure to distract her from whatever personal problems were plaguing her. At exactly eleven pm GMT, Betty signed on to her communications program. Ten minutes later, Amanda nonchalantly sat down in front of her webcam, as if she hadn't planned to parade her perfectly made up face and flashy _haute couture_ to her friend across the pond.

"Hey, Amanda." Betty tried not to let Amanda's tardiness get to her, even though her time was at a premium lately.

Amanda feigned surprise at Betty's greeting. "Omigod, B.! Hi! It's been like nine years since I last saw you."

"It's been several weeks, but I've missed you, too."

"Yeah, whatever." Amanda waved her hand dismissively, but her cheeks were flushed. Betty had discovered her secret.

"So where's Marc?"

Amanda glanced around for her roommate. "He'll be home, soon. But what's new with you? Have you got that magazine started yet?"

"No, no, we're still in the developmental stage—"

"Blah blah blah," Amanda cut in. "So what's the deal with you and Daniel? Have you slept together yet?"

At first the change of topic threw Betty for a loop, but as her friend's words registered, she felt her face lose all color and then gradually turn bright red. "W-w-what? What are you talking about? Daniel and me? Ew, that's gross!"

"Speaking as one who was his fun-buddy many times, sex with Daniel is anything but gross."

"Ew, gross," Betty reiterated in hopefully a firm tone.

"Oh come on, B. Don't tell me you've never thought of it! Why else did he drop everything and fly off to Madagascar?"

"_London_," Betty corrected. "And he moved to London to further his career. He's tired of having opportunities handed to him and wants to work for things."

Amanda snorted. "Puh-leez. Is that what he told you? Obviously, 'career' is code for 'sex.'"

"Amanda!" Betty's high pitched squeal resembled a female chipmunk.

Before Amanda could respond, a disembodied voice spoke up. "Mandy, did you let a stray cat in again?"

"Mandy" turned to look at the new arrival. "No, it's just Betty."

Suddenly, Marc St. James's curly head appeared in Betty's laptop screen. "Hi, Betty."

"Marc! It's so great to see you. Congrats on the promotion to creative editor. You deserve it."

"Yeah, I know." Betty knew that was Marc's way of saying "thank you." Marc elbowed Amanda to give him room in front of the camera, and she reluctantly moved over an inch. "How's the magazine coming? What's it about again? Making fat people feel beautiful?"

Betty rolled her eyes. "It's a compilation of empowering stories, showcasing the average Joe and Jill in different aspects of their life."

"Like I said: making fat people feel beautiful." Before Betty could retaliate with a snippy remark about the shallowness of _Mode_, which Marc knew she could do so well, he moved the conversation along. "What were you two talking about before I came in?"

Betty desperately wanted to say "nothing," but she knew Amanda would never let this choice opportunity to embarrass her go. Amanda started to giggle. "Betty and I were discussing Daniel's decision to leave _Mode_. She thinks he moved to London for his _career_." She jabbed Marc in the side, as if they were sharing an intimate joke.

Marc flashed a supercilious grin. "Of course Daniel is there for his work."

"He is?" Betty and Amanda repeated in unison. Betty quickly recovered. "Of course he is," she agreed.

"But he also missed you, Betty, for God knows what reason."

"Hey!" Betty protested, rankled at the insinuation.

"You complete him," he added. "You're the matching _Prada_ shoes for his _Prada_ belt."

Amanda sniffled. "Marc! That's so sweet and profound." The two embraced each other, Marc patting her back consolingly.

"Well, I think you're both completely off the mark. I know Daniel. If he wanted to further our relationship, he'd say something." Betty couldn't understand why Marc and Amanda were persisting in such a ridiculous idea. Daniel and she were just friends. They'd always been, and they always would be. Right?

Marc broke out of the hug, his eyes gleaming puckishly. "Unless . . ."

Betty felt her heartbeat accelerate and the blood rush to her head. "Unless?" she prodded.

"Unless, he's at a loss as to _how_ to tell you," Marc supplied. "He's never dated his friend before."

"_I'm_ his friend." Amanda's bottom lip stuck out in a noticeable pout.

Marc sighed in exasperation. "But you two weren't friends until after you were together."

Amanda put both hands on her hips in confrontational mode. "You're saying Daniel slept with me for purely physical reasons?"

"Yes."

Amanda brightened. "Okay."

Betty's head was reeling from the implications. Could this be why Daniel had been acting so awkwardly around her? She thought it was merely due to their falling out when she left _Mode_. She knew they had a long way to go for him to completely gain her trust again. But if Marc was right, then there was another layer to the problem. Daniel was falling for her and didn't know how to tell her!

Suddenly Betty didn't feel much like talking to Marc and Mandy, but she didn't want to hurt their feelings. Fortunately, an outlet presented itself. Her cell phone rang. "Gotta go. That's my phone," she said far more cheerfully than she should have been. She switched off her webcam and answered the mobile.

Before she could even utter a "hello," her sister's strident tones barreled over her. "You go traipsing off to England, and all hell breaks loose!"

"Hilda, calm down. What are you talking about?" Betty felt herself on the cusp of a migraine.

"Did Papi tell you his plans for the day?"

"No, I haven't heard from him since his email yesterday."

"Well, I went all the way down to Queens today to visit him—'cause I figured he'd be lonely there all alone—but he was out. I've spent the entire afternoon waiting for his return, and he hasn't come back yet!"

"Did you try his cell?" she asked absently. Considering this was the second time that week that Hilda had panicked about Papi, Betty didn't feel overly concerned. Her mind was far more invested the conversation she had just finished up with her friends.

"You think I'm stupid?"

Betty decided it would be in her best interest not to answer. "How about his job? Did he have to work today?"

There was a moment's pause. "Oh shoot. Oh _crap_,"Hilda moaned."That's right. Papi took a bigger shift on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

"There you go. Problem solved." Betty covered her mouth as she let out a gigantic yawn.

"Problem _not _solved. I wasted half of my day down here."

"Obviously you have nothing better to do, so what does it matter?" Perhaps if Betty hadn't been so distracted or tired, she wouldn't have been quite so callous.

"Not cool, Betty," Hilda snapped. "Just because I'm not a big-shot international editor doesn't mean I don't have a life." With that well-deserved retort, Hilda hung up.

Betty rubbed her temples. She would have to call Hilda tomorrow to apologize, but for now she was in desperate need of sleep. The world's problems would have to wait until the morning.

Unfortunately, _Betty's_ problems couldn't hold out that long. She tossed and turned all night, replaying the conversations with Amanda, Marc, Hilda and most importantly, Daniel.

In his hotel room, Daniel was dealing with his own bout of insomnia. He lay on his bed, gazing at a wallet-sized photo of Molly and him taken on their tropical vacation. The street photographer had insisted on taking their picture, and, after much trepidation, Molly had relented. Daniel was glad she had. It was one of the few photos he possessed of them together.

He traced the edge of the picture tenderly, as if stroking a face. "Molly, I'm ready to take this relationship to the next level, but I don't think Betty is." He clutched the memento to his heart and stared up at the ceiling. "What do I do now?"

Hilda understood that Betty was busy with her dream job in Merry Old England. She understood that it might be difficult at this point to juggle work-related and family-related crisis. She also understood that if Betty couldn't or wouldn't realize the gravity of the Papi situation then she would have to do it all by herself. Which was cool. If she raised a kid on her own, she could certainly handle her father's sudden wayward behavior.

"You're being paranoid," Bobby had told her before heading off to work that Friday morning. "The old man is just enjoying his freedom."

"Well, he's going to enjoy his freedom _in jail_ if he's not careful," she had retorted. "Where's Justin?"

"He already left for school. The pains of commuting from Manhattan to Queens."

Hilda felt a stab as she thought of all the time Justin wasted commuting back and forth everyday. She loved that her son was becoming so independent, and that he had so many supportive friends he didn't want to lose by transferring schools, but she rarely saw him anymore. And as for Bobby . . . what was the point of being married if he was always out working?

As she had so often done in the last few weeks, Hilda brushed aside thoughts of her husband and child to concentrate on Papi. He was her number one priority now. Today she would go down to his house again, regardless of whether he was there or not, and snoop around—see if he was up to anything.

She made it to Queens in record time for a workday and walked down the familiar streets of her old neighborhood with a sense of nostalgia. As she neared her former house, she heard the unmistakable sound of laughter emanating out of the screen door. Shocked, Hilda paused to deliberate her next move. Who was visiting Papi? His girlfriend was out of town again, so it couldn't be Elena. Besides, the laughter sounded far too masculine. Should she barge in and demand to know what was going on, or should she act casually, like it was no big deal she was visiting her dad without calling first.

She finally decided on the stealthy approach. Hilda crept up the front steps and peeked into the living room, but she couldn't make out anything besides the back of a bald man's head. She craned her neck and stood on her tiptoes, trying to decipher faces. Unfortunately, she couldn't keep her balance in her stiletto heels, and she toppled sideways, over the railing, and into a pile of garbage.

"Hilda?" Papi's face peered down at her from the front stoop.

A while later, after Papi and his three bridge playing comrades had extricated her from the garbage, Hilda sat on the sofa with a cold pack to her sprained hand. Papi's innocuous companions had gone home, all wishing her a swift recovery on their way out, and now she and Papi were left alone. She moaned ever so softly under her breath and increased the volume when her father reentered the room with a glass of lemonade. "Here you go, _Mi'ja._"

She gratefully took a long swig.

"Would you mind telling me what you are doing here?"

Hilda averted her gaze. "I thought you might be in trouble, so I came to check things out."

Her father smiled tenderly at her. "I'm all right, Hilda. The doctor says my cholesterol is down and—"

"I wasn't worried about your health." Hilda was growing increasingly uncomfortable as the sheer ridiculousness of her worries became obvious to her. "I thought you might have gotten involved with some bad people, OK?"

He blinked at her in surprise then let out a guffaw. "_Papi Gone Wild_, eh?" Papi chortled.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Stupid, right?" Hilda stood and stalked into the kitchen, Papi close behind her.

"_Mi'ja, _I'm sorry I laughed. This whole move has been a transition for all of us. It will take us time to adjust." He tried to place a consoling hand on her shoulder, but she shook it off.

"No, it will take _me _time to adjust. Everybody else has moved on, no problem. But me? I'm stuck trying to take care of my very independent son and husband and apparently, very independent father. Nobody needs me." Tears flooded her dark eyes. "I'm useless. Betty's got her dream job, Justin's got school and Austin, you've got your new friends... and I've got _nothing_."

Papi enveloped his daughter in a hug. "You're not _useless._"

"I can't get a job. I'm going crazy home alone all the time—"

"You'll find a job, I promise. And your family still needs you. We just don't need you acting as our surrogate parent anymore. We've grown." Papi's mouth twitched into a smile. "Some of us have been grown for _years._"

Hilda smiled in return and wiped the tears from her face. "I know you've got your new bridge buddies, but could I still come over from time to time and check on you?"

"No. But you can come over to _visit_ me." The two hugged each other once again. "As often as you like," he murmured.

Betty didn't know if she should reach out to Daniel, or if she should wait until he mellowed and called her. She finally decided on the latter. She couldn't always be the one to take the first step towards reconciliation.

She spent an unproductive day at work, distracted by thoughts of Daniel. Did he really like her as more than a friend? What should she do? The thought of dating Daniel was . . . intriguing, which was a change from her previous opinion—even her opinion from the conversation with Amanda and Marc the previous night had been more unflattering. But was she _attracted _to him? Yes, he was good looking with his piercing azure eyes and high cheekbones. And his chiseled body and his cute butt . . .

"No!" she shouted. Her coworkers gazed curiously at her. "I . . . uh, spelled 'antidisestablishmentarianism'wrong," she lied. "Imagine that?" She laughed nervously.

"Daniel and I are just friends," she muttered to herself. And she repeated it until she almost believed it.

The end of the workday didn't come soon enough. Tired and disconcerted, Betty clomped out of the lift into the lobby of her office building. Her consternation grew as she spotted Daniel waiting for her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his tight jeans. She paused, trying to figure out what to say.

"Hi," Daniel tentatively began.

"Hey," she replied.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" He instinctively licked his lips, a habit she had long given up trying to cure.

"Sure." She clutched her laptop case tightly to her chest, a protective barrier against whatever her friend was about to say. Whatever life-changing thing. Her heart hammered loudly, and she was glad the case was positioned over it to muffle the sound.

Daniel took a deep breath. This was it. He would tell Betty how he felt. He had struggled with the decision all day and had finally concluded that he couldn't continue being her friend as long as he wasn't truthful about his feelings for her. She could reject him—he was almost certain she would—but at least his feelings would be out there, and they could move on past it. Hopefully. Either that or their friendship would disintegrate before his eyes. But as painful as that option was, he had to take the risk.

"First off, let me apologize for yesterday," he said. "I was rude and abrupt, and I had no need to be." He smiled ironically. "I do that a lot, don't I? Screw up and beg for your forgiveness?"

Betty managed a smile in response. "Good thing, I'll always forgive you."

Looking at her smiling visage, Daniel felt his confidence grow. "Anyways, as I was saying—"

She couldn't do it. She couldn't stand there and let her best friend make the biggest mistake of his life. Betty dropped her laptop case and grabbed both of his arms. "Before you go on, can I just say that I value our friendship** so much?" Her brown eyes pleaded with him to understand. "And I would hate for _any_thing to come in the way of it and wreck it."

Daniel understood. "Yeah, me too," he finally managed to say. And it was true. As much as he wanted to yell from the rooftops that he was falling for Betty Suarez, he didn't want to jeopardize their friendship. He would rather live as her friend than live without her.

Relieved, Betty let go of his arms and took a step back. "Now what were you going to say?"

Daniel forced a smile. "Just that you're working to hard, and I intend to take you on a much needed excursion to Stonehenge this weekend."

"Stonehenge?" Betty beamed from ear to ear. "I've been meaning to go there, but I've never actually left the city yet."

Her enthusiasm was contagious, and soon they were both grinning at each other. Only the niggling feeling of disappointment and discomfort remained, but Daniel knew how to fix that. He enveloped Betty in a warm, friendly hug, which she readily reciprocated. It wasn't the ending he had envisioned for this meeting, but it was so right and so real. And that was all he could wish for.

**Companion Song:

_To me, coming from you_

"_Friend" is a four letter word._

"_End" is the only part of the word that I heard. _

_Call me morbid or absurd._

_But to me coming from you_

"_Friend" is a four letter word._

_But to me, coming from you_

"_Friend" is a four letter word._

"_End" is the only part of the word that I heard. _

_Call me morbid or absurd._

_But to me coming from you_

"_Friend" is a four letter word._

_When I go fishing for the words_

_I am wishing you would say to me_

_I am really only praying that the words you'll soon be saying _

_Might betray the way you feel about me._

_But to me coming from you_

"_Friend" is a four letter word._


	4. S05E03: Back to School

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UB: S5E3- "Back to School"

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Sorry for the delay, but we did listen to reviewers suggestions for this eppy, thanks help don't hesitate to keep reviewing and/or suggesting. New eppy will be within 4 to 5 weeks

Thanks enjoy the eppy :)

_"Since I've experience so much attitude at MODE, I'd like to posit an observation: One thing that is often lost in changing of an attitude is the cause for that change. The best is understood when you consider attitudes on a personal level. I ask you, dear readers, to think back to a time when you experience a major shift in your life. Was external, something that happens outside of you, and forced a change of attitude to help you adapt to the future? Perhaps you saw a friend demonstrate a prowess that cast her in a new light, Heck, maybe it was simple as your friend getting a makeover. Or perhaps that friend undergoing her own life change, one in which she would be no longer be present in your life, compelling you to make your own change to keep her in, even if it were in a new context. "_

Daniel shut the '100 years of Attitude' issue after reading for 100th time…maybe that wasn't true but it felt that way. He couldn't help but read his own words, knowing that he wasn't practising what he had been preaching. Daniel thought to "himself,

"I am in such a rut, a very big rut! What I am supposed to do now? I can't tell my best friend that I am in love with her and that I want to be more than just friends but then again, I don't want to lose Betty all together."

Daniel realized that he had to do something other than pine for Betty. He needed to do something constructive with his life. now, that he doesn't have MODE anymore."

He needed a fresh start, new life. But what life?

Perhaps glancing at his laptop would help him figure out his countless hours, staying up and searching the internet, the found his answer, and he couldn't wait to tell Betty.

It was the official start of summer vacation for all the schools' in New York, as Justin and Austin made their way out to the school parking lot.

Austin asked Justin, " So what do you want to do now that it is summer? Mind I take you home?"

"Sure, no problem. Anyway, I have been dying to see, the Broadway masterpiece "Memphis". Maybe Marc can get some tickets, what do you say?"

"That sounds perfect." Austin smiled

Justin smiled back at him as both their eyes sparkled. Austin couldn't help it as he took his hand out of his pocket, hoping to hold Justin's but just then, he heard a fellow friend say, "Hey Austin, see you later then? Have an awesome summer, dude."

Austin started back away from Justin, which stang a little but Justin swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Austin say, "Sure, you too bud."

Upon catching sight of Justin after his friend had left, Austin knew immediately that Justin had been hurt by his prior gesture and apologised, "I'm sorry, I am still getting used to it."

At a loss for words., Justin understood and said, "It's okay, Austin, I understand."

"Thanks," Austin smiled, "Let's get out of here."

"Yea, let's go. Summer time!" Justin grinned.

They were about to get into Austin's car when the drama teacher, Miss Darling came out the school, calling out for Justin.

"Justin,! Wait! Wait! My shining stars!"

Miss Darling came up to them and panting, "Thank god, I got you in time, I have some news for you."

"What news?"

Miss Darling said, "Well, do you remember the dramatic piece you were required to perform in your finals, where you did that amazing interpretation of Billy Elliot, and I said that I wanted to tape it for school purposes.?"

"Yea…" Justin replied.

She carried on excitedly, "Instead of keeping it, I decided to send it to LaGuardia and guess what!"?"

From the pure excitement and joyous expression on her face, Justin knew,

"Are you telling me that I got in.?"

"You got in!" she screamed.

"Austin, I got in! Oh my gosh! Thank you, Miss. Darling, thank you.!". Justin cried in ecstasy as he hugged Miss Darling and danced around the area for a bit.

After their hug, Miss Darling wished both Austin and Justin a great summer and good luck as she left them alone. Hugging Austin, Justin said, "Can you believe it, Austin? I got in! I'm going to LaGuardia! "

Austin smiled and said, "I am so proud of you., dude. You deserve it."

Austin was sincerely happy for Justin and moved in for a hug but suddenly saw a fellow male student nearby looking at them in disgust. He pulled away, and said to Justin, "Hey, come on bud! High five, no hugs." he lifts up his hand. Even though Justin felt hurt, he went with it anyway and slapped his hand. Then Austin said, "Let's go celebrate."

Justin didn't say anything as he got in the car thinking, "Is my boyfriend ashamed of me?"

At MODE, things were busy and hectic as Marc St. James was now juggling two jobs, - his new job as Creative Director and his old job as assistant to Wilihelmina (Wili) Salter. She calls for him every 10 minutes or so with a task and even though he's up to his neck with work, he still feels somewhat obligated to comply as she was the one who gave him his current position as Creative Director. Marc was under major pressure to make sure this spread was prefect, and flawless to Wili's liking. He was somewhat relieved that Wili was out with Connor to lunch, and hoped that he would finish most of it before she returned so that he did not have to bring work attempting to fully focus his attention on the spread, he got distracted by his best friend, Amanda Tannen (Mandy)'s screams, and thought for a moment that those high-pitched yells could really make someone go deaf.

I swear, you can hear these screams in China!

Amanda bounded up the Mode hallway, kissing every guy she saw on the way to Marc's office as she said,

"Marc! ISN'T THIS BEST DAY EVER?" she screamed loudly.

"I guess so, what's going with you, Mandy! What's with the excitement?"

"I GOT IN!"

Confused, he asked, "Got into what?"

Mandy gasped in shock, "Marc St. James,! As my bestie, how could you forget such a thing. ? I got into my ultimate dream school! The Fashion institute of New York. To achieve my ultimate dream job of becoming a stylist, DUH!" she slapped Marc across his head.

Marc then slapped himself, for being such a bad friend and apologised for his moment of folly, "Mandy, oh my god, I am so sorry, I completely forgot, work has been meanlately."

"Aww, it's okay, bestie, you're forgiven,. Now, give me some sugar!"

They hugged , had no idea that Wili was behind them and jumped as they heard her, "What's going on here?"

Marc and Mandy quickly separated as they heard Wili and Marc said, "Wili, ! Um, Amanda was just telling some good news."

"Yeah, do you want to hear it, Wilhelmina?"

"No I do not bother with news of the common people."

"Lilly Wili, be nice, . Come on, let them celebrate. The poor lass, alone. He has to work too, you know?" Connor interrupted as he came behind Wili, and placed his arms around her, kissing her neck.

Amanda and Marc glanced other and laughed, "Lilly Wili?"

"What's so funny?" Wili asked, eyebrows raised.

"Nothing." Marc and Amanda replied demurely but at the backs of their minds, the gears in their heads were spinning at this new nickname.

Wili continued, "That's what I thought, and Marc, Connor's right,. You're done for tonight."

Amazed, Marc said, "Thank you, Wili."

"Don't thank me, Marc, just make sure you get that spread done tomorrow, understood?"

"No problems, Wili." he waved his hand.

" Go before I change my mind."

"Don't worry Wili, Marc don't you have work to do?" Wili told him

Wili was about to enter her office when Amanda said, "I hope this isn't a bad time for you, Wilhelmina, but…"

Marc signalled to Amanda to stop but Amanda did not pay heed as she continued "Can you write an recommendation for me?"

Wili said nothing as she turned to walk in front of Amanda and said in a bitter and cold tone, "Marc, if you know what's good for you and your friend here, I suggest you get her out of my sight right now. There is no chance in hell I will ever give her a recommendation."

Marc did as he was told and pulled Amanda away from Wili's wrath. as Amanda herself couldn't believe how scary and mean Wili was to her, and vowed never to ask Wili for anything again.

Back in London, Betty was in her office as and decided to make a call to Claire. a called to make call,

"Hello?"

"Mrs. Meade, it's Betty."

Claire, so happy to hear from her future daughter-in-law she, said, "Betty!, why Why hello.! So good too heard from you How's it going in London with my son?"

"Fine, we're just fine." Betty lied a little as things between Daniel and herself were currently awkward.

Claire could tell by Betty's voice that things were not fine but she didn't want to push further so she said, "That's good, so what I can do for you?"

"Well, I was wondering about the '100 years of Attitude' issue, and I want to know if you could send me a copy cause cuz I would really love to see it since that was the last issue, I produced with Daniel before I left. Anyway, I'm just dying to see how my article and Daniel's EIC letter came out."

Claire told Betty, "That's interesting, Betty."

"Why is that interesting?" Betty asked.

"Because., I just sent Daniel two issues a couple of weeks ago - one for him, one for you. He should have gotten them?. Why don't you ask him?" Claire said, planting the seed in thehopes that Betty will read Daniel's EIC letter, and helping her realise Daniel's true feelings.

"Thanks Mrs. Meade,. I will,. Give my best to all at MODE."

" No problem, Betty and please call me Claire."

"Sure bye Claire."

"Bye sweetheart, take good care of my son and yourself, love you both."

"I will, goodbye."

Betty hung up,grateful to her role model, Claire. Then she wondered for a second how great it would be to become her daughter-in-law…and she smiled at the thought. Then, hearing a knock on her office door, she looked up and saw Daniel lounging by her door in a relaxed pose grinning at her. As she looked at him, she wondered if it would ever be possible that she and him would ever..but she shook off the idea, as she hated to lose him as a friend so she played it cool as she greeted Daniel, "Good morning, just got off with your mother on the phone, she sends you her love."

"Well, that nice to heard, so were you two talking about me?" Daniel asked as he entered his office.

Pouring himself a drink of water, and just about to take a swigs, Betty told him,

"No, actually I called her about the 100 years of Attitude issue."

Before managing a sip when he heard Betty say "100 years of Attitude issue", he spit out the water out and almost got Betty but thankfully, it landed on the flooBetty rushed over to the coughing and sputtering Daniel with a towel and cleaned

"Daniel, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I am fine."

"Okay, anyway, I asked your mother if she had the issue and she said she sent you for the two for us. One of them is for me so I could read it." Betty said.

Daniel was ready to show Betty the EIC letter, but not yet ready to tell her the truth about his feelings without losing her as a friend so he lied, "Well, sorry, I guess they are still shipping because I haven't gotten them yet."

"Oh well, when you do get them, please me know, I'm dying to read it." Betty told him.

"Me too," Daniel told her, "Anyway, the reason why I am here is that I've decided on what to do with my life in London."

"Really?,What?" she asked excitedly.

Daniel took a deep breath and said, "I've decided to go back to school."

Stunned, she said "What, really?"

"Yup." Daniel said.

Then out of nowhere, Betty squealed joy for as she jumped into his arms and hugged him as she said, "Daniel, I am so proud of you."

And for the first Betty decided to kiss Daniel on the cheek , then she immediately pulled back , surprised at what she had just done., Looking at Daniel, she knew, he too was surprised as he touched the cheek where Betty kissed him,. hHe couldn't believe that he got his first kiss on the cheek from her after four years of friendship. It was quiet when Betty told Daniel once more, "I am really proud of you, Daniel."

"Thank you, Betty, that means a lot."

Betty asked, "So what school are you going to? Oxford?"

"Oh, gosh no. I am going to the London College of Communication, for my masters in publishing and advertising. I heard they've got a great a program." Daniel mentioned.

"That's right, most of people who work here graduated from there. Sounds great Daniel., I wish you all the luck in the world, but then again, would you need it?" Betty jested.

"And why is that?"

"Because you are Daniel Meade."

Daniel, confused why Betty would say such things, "And what's that suppose to mean, Betty?"

"Oh jeez, Daniel, I didn't mean it in a bad way, I mean, I thought since you've your Meade trust fund, you would be able to use that to help you." Betty said.

"So you're saying that without my father's name, I won't be able to do this?" Daniel hissed.

"Daniel, that is not what I said."

"But it is what you meant, isn't it,. Betty,?"

Things suddenly got cold and quiet between them as tensions rose,. Betty trying to ease the tension apologised,, "Daniel, I am so sorry, I didn't to hurt your feelings., I am sure that with or without the fund, you would be able to do anything that you set your mind to."

"Yeah, I guess. But I want to know, that I can do this Betty., I have to do this… I need substance in my life. I can waste my life pinning..."

"Pinning for what?" Betty asked.

Daniel realised he should have put a cork in his mouth but luckily, he was able to make a save and said, "I meant wasting my life,. Uh listen, I have a lot to get done,… for school that is, uh I will call later."

Without so much as a goodbye, Daniel left,. as Betty was left standing there feeling bad for Daniel.

"I can't believe you'd ask Wili, before me!" Marc yelled at Amanda while they were having a celebratory lunch..

"I'm sorry, Marc, it was a mistake. I was not thinking clearly. I just thought Wili, would be nicer now, since Daniel handed her MODE." Amanda said, and then added, "Besides, you gotta stop being Wili's man whore."

Marc almost choked on his food and said, "Mandy, excuse me,"

" Marc, you have to take a stand when comes to Wili,. You are creative director, not her assistant anymore," Amanda continued.

Marc replied, "And you should know no matter what, WilliWili is now the new Editor-in-Chief. You need to know that she makes the decisions now,. Aand Mandy, besides, you have other great options for your references, like me!."

"I know, but I need two references,. Maybe Daniel could be the other."

Marc almost chokes on his salad when he heard Amanda mention Daniel as a possible reference as he said, "You are nuts, woman, you don't ask the man who youslept with to be your reference unless you're applying to be a hooker."

"Okay, Mr. Smarty-pants, who do suggest other than yourself?" Amanda retorted.

"Well, how about, Claire Meade,? You helped her find her son and she owes you one."

"Yes, she does but she doesn't know that I am dating him."

Marc said, "Well, I think she will approve."

"Thanks, now one more to go."

Marc thought a long hard before mentioning one name, "Betty?"

"Betty?" Amanda asked.

Marc and Amanda looked each other, silently thinking of Betty as a good reference, and wondering what's going in London with Daniel,. Then, they burst out laughing at the thought of Daniel and/Betty hooking up.

Then Amanda told Marc, "Betty, would be an awesome reference, but yet she is clueless. I mean, she needs to have a clue that her own bestie, is L-O-V-E with her."

"I know, it's pathetic, but geez Betty, Walter, Henry, Gio, Matt, and now Daniel, is going up to male food chain fast than me."

" But hey,you've got Trevor now, right?." Amanda asked

"His name is Troy."

"Oops, sorry, but so I am good, now I need your reference in two weeks."

'Two weeks" Marc stunned on the short notice.

"Yay, you are the best bestie ever!" she yelled happily as she leaned over the table kissed him on the forehead and gave him a hug. As Marc hugged Amanda, he hoped that he would not let her down. He prayed that on Monday morning when he talked to Wili, she would give him a break from her wrath and at least some respect.

Justin came home from after having been dropped off a silent car ride home. But what Justin exceptsWhat Justin didn't expect was a surprise part waiting for him as Bobby Hilda, and his Grandpapi., Ignacio, yelling "Surprise!" as they cheered and threw confetti at him. Justin tried his best to act happy although he wasn't as he had a lot of things on this mind but he played along and said, "Aww thanks, your guys,! What's the celebration for."?"

Hilda came up to him and gaive her son a kiss on the head, "Your teacher called and gave us the good news. I am so proud of you, baby."

"Thanks, mom."

"Congrats kid." Bobby said as his messed up Justin's hair with his hand.

"Thanks, Bobby, but please from now on, not touch my hair or you die." Justin said.

"Point taken, sorry." Bobby grinned as he backed off.

Then Ignacio came up to his grandson, hugged him and whispered, "Your dad, would have been just as proud as I am."

Tears welled up in Justin's eyes and he tried his best not to let them fall as the painful memory of his dad flooded through him but they did as he said, "Thanks. Really, nice of all of you, but um, not in the mood to celebrate today., sorry."

Justin ran upstairs as Hilda tried to catch up with him asking, "Baby! what's wrong.?"

However, it was too late as Hilda heard Justin's door slam.

Back in London, At in Daniel's hotel, he was working on his application, for the University of London. As the some of questions was scratching his head as he was puzzled with the questions, like

"What do want to get out of learning at this schoolfrom the University of London?"

For second he thought "Well I want to pass time, by learning rather pining over my best friend, Betty."

Of course, there was no way he could put that on paper thus after careful thought, Daniel wrote the following, "What I want to get out of learning here at the London College of Communication is that, I want to learn to have my own publishing legacy as I have been living and running my family's legacy for years now. Or maybe an advertising agency."

After finishing that questions, the rest were easy, but the last question of his application stumped him, as it read,

"Name one person who inspires you, and why?"

When Daniel read the question, it didn't take long for him to think of one name were other potential candidates ie, his mother whom he loved and admire and Molly, his wife whom he loved and cared for. However, Betty has always been there for inspired him to believe that anything he truly wants is worth fighting for. He sighed and wrote down his final answer,

"The person who inspired inspires me most once said this, "Anything you truly want is worth fighting for." That person is may good dear friend, Betty Rosa Suarez. We have known each other from work for four years. nNot only was she my assistant but also a friend, a breath of fresh air. She lights up any room,and taught so much when I worked as editor-in-chief at for MODE,. Betty made me see that theyre are greater things to life. I know you do no know this woman, but she knows me and I know her, and she is the greatest thing that ever happened in my life, and I thank God everyday for my father to hiringe her. Betty made see that I don't have to live by my family name but live by by my own. That is why I want to attend the London College of Communication – to learn how to live my own life, not my family's."

Then Daniel signed the application, and mailed it in, hoping and praying that in a month, he would be accepted and be able to live his life the way he wants. I haven't told Betty!. So Thus, after emailing his application, he hailed a cab hoping to catch Betty before she left work.

In Justin's room, Justin lay in his bed crying, even though he was thrilled to get into

LaGuardia. He was upset that his boyfriend was ashamed of him. Justin was wished that people were more accepting, more compassionate and caring but he knew that no one that prefect, but it was nice to imagine it. As Justin daydreamed of a perfect world where Austin and he would be accepted,a knocks on the door came as Hilda, popped her head in to check on her son. She made for Justin's bed as she set down a tray of cake with a nice glass of milk. Then, she sat down on his bed and told him, "Got some cake, and milk for you."

"Don't want it, but thanks mom, you can go now. I am fine." Justin told her.

Hilda didn't want to leave her son feeling so sad, when he should be happy, but she needed to respect her son's privacy, so she started to leave but before heading to the door, Hilda told Justin, "Baby, you I know, I love you, and you can tell me anything. There is no reason to be scared or ashamed to tell me what's troubling you."

Then, turning her back to the door and, hoping that her son would call her, ,he did, "Mom, wait."

Justin got up from his bed, went over to her, and gave her the biggest hug a mother could never imagine, as he told her, "Thank you."

Hilda confused, "For what?"

Justin let her go and replied, "For just being there and saying the right things to make me feel better."

"Oh baby, are you okay,? What is wrong? Did something happen between you and Austin?"

"Yes, but don't worry, mom, I know how to fix it. First, I want to celebrate with my family…I Ggot in! I got into LaGuardia!"

"Yes,! And I am so proud of you!"

"Thanks, mom. Let's go down stairs, PARTAY!"

They smiled as they headed back downstairs to celebrate Justin's truimph. During the celebration, Justin realized he shouldn't be ashamed nor let other people think otherwise. The most important thing was is what he thought of himself, and no matter what happens, that he had a family that lovesd him, and a great guy that he needs that same confidence.

In London, Betty was ready to head out of her office of Bold and Beauty when Daniel knocks on her door and said, "Good, I caught you in time."

" Daniel, so good to see you.!" as she went up to hug him, "I am sorry for earlier, I didn't mean what I saysaid, you about being Daniel Meade,."

" Betty, it is okay, I overacted, I came here to tell you that I applied to the London College of Communication ."

" Oh that is great news Daniel! When will you hear from them?."

" Within six weeks." Daniel told her.

Betty said, " Well, I wish you luck, but you don't need it, I am sure you'll get in."

"Thanks Betty. I am also here to give you this."

He handed the '100 Years of Attitude' issue of MODE to her, and was so happy to see how amazing it turned out- it was perfect.

She told him, "Daniel, it's beautiful, thank you!But I thought you said it didn't arrive, yet?"

Daniel admitted, "I lied, it arrived two days ago, and I kept reading it over and over again, but I was scared to give to you."

"Why?"

"Betty, this was our last issue together, and I wrote some things in my EIC letter, that I didn't really think I would say, and I need you to promise me, Betty..."

Daniel was finding hard to finish the sentence. "Promise you what, Daniel?"

"Promise me, that you won't read the letter until I get news about my schooling here or at least until I am ready for you to read it." Daniel finished

"Okay, I will." Betty told him.

"Please, Betty, I need for you to mean it. It is really important that you do." As Daniel told her, grasping hisher hand.

Betty knew Daniel was really serious about it and said, "Of course, Daniel, I promise."

"Thank I'm not saying you can't read it the issue. All I'm asking is that you don't read the letter now, as the letter contains things that I'm not ready to face yet. Can you understand that?" Daniel said.

" I understand perfectly, Daniel, I've never seen you this serious before. Are you okay?"

" I am fine, Betty, I am just still adjusting to my new life here, and other things. But don't worry, Betty, I'll be fine."

Betty said, "All right, so what's next for you.?"

" I don't know. Once school starts, I will need to find my own place. Can't stay at a hotel forever?." Daniel told her.

" Daniel, if you need a place to stay, you are more welcome to stay with me, until you find a place of your own, and I would be more than happy to help you look for a job. Iif you want,"

Daniel smiled. Even thought she wasn't his assistant any more, she was still willing to do things for him. As grateful as he was towards Betty, he couldn't bear living with her without her knowing exactly how he felt. And, he also felt that he needed to be independent so he told her, "Betty, thanks but no thanks,. I can take care of myself, I am a big boy."

Betty wanted to help Daniel but he was right, he was a big boy and, he could take care of himself. And she was proud of him. Betty liked seeing this new,improved Daniel- serious, driven, Daniel Meade.

" Okay, Well since you're here, wanna go out for a night cap to celebrate.?"

Daniel said, "Celebrate what?"

Betty told him "Life."

Daniel and Betty chuckled as Daniel said, "Sounds great."

Then Betty and Daniel then headed out of the office as they went for a night cap out under the city lights of London, celebrating the joys of their new life.

On Monday morning, Marc arrived at MODE. to find Wili preparing for the day as he went over and over what he was going to say to her. Amanda was right, he was not her assistant anymore he was Creative Director of MODE, and she needed to understand that he has more important things to do other than to fetch her coffee. So he took a deep breathe and entered Willi's office and said, "Good Morning,Wili."

" Marc, good you're here. Listen, I need a decaf, non fat latte."

Marc sighed as he said, "No, I can't, I'm busy. Call a temp. I am sure one would be happy to help you."

Wili was stunned as she looked up at him with a stern face, "Excuse me?"

Marc went up her and began, "Wili, I love you, I am grateful to you, and I would walk to depths of hell with you, but You you need to know, that I am not your assistant anymore,. I am Creative Director of MODE. and That's my job now, okay,? Furthermore, I understand you don't like Amanda, but she is my friend, and she was just asking for a recommendation. You could have just said, no, not treat her like trash on the floor, because she isn't,. She is a gifted, spirited woman. who is trying to succeed in life, so please respect that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Marc, left Wili's office, relieved to get that off his chest. It left Wili in a tail spin, as she sat there replaying what just happened., tThen Connor came in, " Hello, my Lilly Wili. Why so glum?"

" Marc just told me off." she informed him.

"Really,? He's got guts, what did he say?" Connor asked.

Wili told him, " That he isn't my assistant anymore and that he is Creative Director and that I need to respect and not belittle his friends."

Connor told Wili, "Well, I hate to say it, but he is right, you know that right?"

"Yes, I know, it's just that… Marc, has been always there., I mean, besides you, he understands me. How I am supposed to let him go?" Wili said, showing the more vulnerable side of herself to Connor.

" Well Wili, if you care about him then you gotta, let him go and respect that because he isn't your assistant anymore, but he will always be your friend." Conner told her as he kissed on the head, "Alright sweetums, I have to go now. I'll see you in a bit." Then, he left her in her office to think.

Back in Manhattan, Austin came knocking at Justin's house. luckily, Justin was the one who answered as he was preparing to head out for his first day at LaGuardia. Austin, got in the first word as he said, "Hey, Justin, listen, we need to talk."\

"We sure do." Justin said.

As they went outside to talk on the porch, Austin began to say, "Justin, I am sorry, for the way I've been acting towards you, I mean, towards us. I want you to know that it's not you at all. I mean, you are wonderful…it is just me, I am new to this, and I am." Justin held up his finger to stop Austin as he wanted to say something too.

"Austin, I understand. I know that you are scarred, and believe me, it is frightening at first. I initially thought you were ashamed of me, but after a lot of thinking I realized that it's hard coming into a new relationship like ours, but you also need to know you shouldn't be scared because no matter what, you'll have me, like I'll always have you."

Then Justin, put his finger down as Austin asked, "Mind if I take you, to your first day at LaGuardia?."

Justin smiled, "Thanks, love to,. Let me get my stuff."

Then Justin went back inside as Austin was left alone, thinking how grateful he was to have such an understanding boyfriend.

Marc and Amanda were having lunch, and Marc, was recapping to Amanda what happened with Wili, this morning and she couldn't believe that Marc did have some balls after all and she was proud of him.

"Marc, I can't believe you actually stood up to Wili, for me. You are the best bestie a girl could ever hope for."

"Well, I didn't just do it for you, I also did it for myself, aAnd thank you for telling me do so By the way, you are about to love me more, as I have my recommendation for you."And he handed her his recommendation.

Amanda yelped excitedly, "Yup, I do love you more.! Marky, Marc!. Thank you!"

"You're welcome, how are the rest of your recommendations coming along?"

" Fine. You're right, you know. Claire Meade was easy enough but Betty is somewhat harder to get a hold of. Now that she lives in London."

" Are you seriously considering Miss, Suarez for a recommendation?Don't be a fool, Miss Tannen?"."

Marc and Amanda turned around, astonished to see Wili standing behind them

"Now, according to my conversation, with Marc, my assit- sorry, former, assistant earlier, I realize, I might have overlooked you all these years. so I've decided to give you a recommendation."

Amanda was stunned as she said, "Really? Oh thank you!." Amanda was about to hug her but Wili stopped her as she said, "Not so fast, Miss Tannen,. I would love to see your work before making my decision."

"Of course, I will get my portfolio to you asap." Then she turned to Marc and told him "Marc, gotta run, thanks for your recommendation and lunch."

"Wili, be right back to dazzle you." !" Amanda said, as she ran off.

This left Wili and Marc alone as Marc said, "Thanks Wili."

"Don't thank me. You 're were right. You were not my assistant, but now the Creative Director of MODE, and I need to respect that, but I have to let you know something."

"If Amanda Tannen, doesn't live up to my standards, you'll have me to answer to, understood?." Wili smirked.

"Received!" he nodded.

"Good, now don't you have work to do, Creative Director?" Wili asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, I do and I will get right back to it, Boss." Marc said and left the table feeling so proud of his Bossboss, because she was able to do the nice thing for once her of sabotaging others.

As Austin and Justin pulled up to LaGuardia, they got out of the car and saw the other students entering the school. They looked at each other, and Austin was struck with a good idea - he held out his hand to hold Justin's and asked rather timidly, "Mind if I walk you to your class?."

Justin smiled while holding Austin's hand and saidreplied, "No, not at all."

Thus, they walked hand-in-hand as they entered LaGuardia's main doors, not thinking about what other people thought of them as they walked down the halls to Justin's class,. While walking, Justin couldn't help but think of the song "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera as the words rang in his head.

"I am beautiful no matter what they can't bring me down, so don't you bring me down today."

They reached Justin's class and, Austin, for the first time in public, kissed Justin on the cheek and wished him luck. Justin watched him walk away as a younger student came up and asked who Austin was. Justin grinned as he proudly said, "That's my boyfriend."

Back in London, Betty didn't have the chance last night to look over the '100 years of Attitude' issue, since her and Daniel were out all night celebrating with their life and friendship . They had a great time, singing, drinking, laughing and having a grand old time like when Daniel first arrived in London. Since she had spare time, Betty thus started skimming through the issue, adoring the beautiful cover from the purplish coloring to the bright golden '100' shining below 'MODE'. Then Betty started to look through the articles of each editor-in-chief, a little surprised to see Wili's entry. To this day, she was surprised but happy that Wilhelmina Slater was now in charge of MODE, despite the evil schemes to get MODE. In some way, she deserved it for the work hard she had put in all these years However, Daniel had also earned the right to be editor-in-chief as well. As she looked upon his page, she was elated to see the picture she choose for him on the page. Then she looked over her article that she wrote for him, she hoped that she did Daniel justice as he was a good editor-in-chief, and that his father would be proud of him.

After reading through the article she wrote, she felt more temptation to read Daniel's last editor-in-chief letter, even though she promised him she wouldn't, she slowly began to flip to the first page, but was luckily saved by the phone ringing. Betty closed the magazine and answered the phone, "Hello, Betty Suarez speaking."

"Miss Suarez, I'm Darla, the is a Mr. Daniel Meade is here to see you."

"Thank you, Darla,tell him I will be right down."

Betty locked the issue of MODE desk to make sure she didn't read it until Daniel was ready for her to. She made her way down to the reception desk to find Daniel looking dashing as always, and she told Darla, "I will be out for the rest of the day. I will be back later tonight."

Daniel was admiring her professionalism as and he thought she was radiant as well, as he and said, "Hey there, beautiful, ready to go to lunch?."

"Ready as I will ever be.I thought maybe we could go out maybe go apartment/job hunting for you as well." Betty added smilingly.

"Sounds great,!"

Daniel escorted her out the office building. They went out for lunch and afterward,Betty helped Daniel find an apartment and job, and it didn't matter to them whether it was successful or not. All that mattered was they were enjoying each other's company.


	5. S05E04: Heart of the matter

**Ugly Betty Virtual Series- Episode 4: The Heart of the Matter**

Amanda downs the shot of tequila, and slams the shot glass down on the table, in front of Marc. He promptly refills it.

"It couldn't have been that bad," said Marc.

"My teacher said I had absolutely no talent for fashion," said Amanda, "she should have just ripped out my heart and stomped on it with her last season's Prada shoes. Fashion is my life! What am I going to do? Maybe Claire will let me come back to Mode. Being a receptionist seems to be the only thing I can do."

"I'm sorry. We will figure something out." said Marc, "You have only been going to school for two weeks. It will get better."

"I can't fail these classes, or my career will be over," said Amanda, "before it begins."

"You have more style in your little finger than your teacher has in her entire body. She looks like she got dressed in the dark. I can't believe that you, Amanda Tanen-Sommers, would let someone like her make you doubt yourself," said Marc. "You are fabulous." Amanda grabs the bag of potato chips off of the table, as she begins to gorge herself.

"I know right?" said Amanda, with her mouth full of food.

"You don't need a piece of paper to tell you what looks good. You are Fey Sommers' daughter. You have fashion in your genes," said Marc.

"On top of everything, Tyler hasn't called me since he went to South Dakota, or whatever state he is from," said Amanda, "I probably screwed that up too. I ruin everything I touch." she sighed. Marc scoots away from the table.

"He's probably been busy, herding cattle or whatever they do in there," said Marc, "He will call. I'm sure."

"The last time I saw him, we were packing up some of Daniel's stuff two weeks ago," said Amanda,

"You packed up some of Daniel's stuff? It must have been weird packing your ex-fun buddy's things with his half brother, who is now your luvar," said Marc, "I think that is the kind of thing soap operas are made of."

"It was actually a lot of fun," said Amanda, "I put all kinds of random things in the box. Tyler and I had a great time."

"It looks like things are working out in London for Daniel," said Marc, "Betty and he always did act like luvars. It's actually kind of romantic though. It's like Beauty and the Beast. In this case, Betty is the beast, and Daniel is the beauty."

"Betty is clueless. She has no idea that Daniel gets all hot and bothered around her now. When we talked to her a few weeks ago, she was totally in the dark," said Amanda.

"Hasn't she read the letter yet? It's so obvious," said Marc.

"Nope! Daniel apparently told Tyler that he made Betty promise not to read it until he was ready for her to see it," said Amanda, "I mean, that is only going to make her want to read it more. Sweet Betty would do whatever Daniel wants. She's loyal like that. If he doesn't spill it soon, I'm going to have to fly to London and kick some Meade butt."

"I would pay to see that," chuckled Marc.

"Wait until he opens with the box with bulk size package of condoms," said Amanda, "if he keeps holding out, he is going to use them up pretty quickly. Daniel requires sex, like he requires air to breath."

"He's taking his time with her. He doesn't want to freak her out. There is no easy way to tell your best friend that you are in love with her," said Marc.

"Sex, Daniel and Betty. Those are three things that I thought we would never put in the same category. Can you imagine if they have children? She would probably try to dress them in sombreros and ponchos," said Amanda, "We can only hope that Daniel has the dominant genes."

"I'll say a special prayer tonight to the reproductive gods," said Marc.

"From what Tyler said, Daniel is still far from going there with Betty," said Amanda, "It's like Daniel is a totally changed person. It's almost like sex isn't the most important thing to him anymore."

"Betty has a way of changing people," said Marc, as he took a sip of his drink. Amanda downed another shot.

"Enough about chica and the man. I wish Tyler would call me. It's driving me mad." said Amanda, as Marc filled her shot glass, "Marc, I think I might actually be in love with him."

"That's huge, Mandy," said Marc, as he grabbed her hand, "Here, take the whole bottle of tequila. It'll make you feel better." Marc slid the bottle across the table.

There was a knock at the door. Amanda got up from her chair, and made her way over to the door. She flung open the door and Tyler was standing there, in front of her.

"Tyler!" said Amanda. Marc quickly put the bottle of tequila away, as he prepared for a quick exit. Amanda stood there looking at Tyler as he stood in the doorway.

"I am going to head off to bed now. It's great seeing you, Tyler." said Marc, as he went into his bed room and closed the door.

"Hey, Marc," said Tyler.

"What are you doing here?" said Amanda, curiously, as she hugged the edge of the door.

"Can I come in or do I have to stand in the hallway?" said Tyler, as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

"You can come in. However, I should make you stand in the hallway." said Amanda.

"Thank you." said Tyler, as he walks in and she closes the door behind him. Amanda walks over to the couch and sits down. Tyler sits down across from her.

"When did you get back?" said Amanda.

"An hour ago," said Tyler, "I'm sorry that I didn't call you while I was gone."

"Whatever. It's no big deal," said Amanda, as she tried to act like she could care less. She figured that if he was going to reject her, it would hurt less if she pretended not to care. '

"It is a big deal, Amanda," said Tyler, "I did a lot of thinking, while I was gone. Actually, it's weird, but Daniel made me think about a lot of things. He is pursuing the life that he wants to have. This is hard for me to admit. Daniel and I got off to a really rough start, but he is a great guy. I really admire him for following his heart. I just wish he would tell Betty exactly what is on his mind."

"Tell me about it," said Amanda, "Daniel isn't really good with emotions. He gets that from Bradford."

"Anyway, I really started to think about what I want with my life. I tried to figure out. Did I want to go back to South Dakota or stay here in New York?" said Tyler, "I'm a simple guy, Amanda. Those two worlds are totally opposites. The easiest decision would be to go back to South Dakota, but there is something here that I can't get there."

"What's that?" said Amanda.

"South Dakota doesn't have you." said Tyler, "I love you, Amanda."

Daniel stared down at the letter in front of him. He knew that his life was starting to fall into place. He couldn't believe it. All in the same day, his life was back on track again.

Earlier that day, he had been offered a position with Dunne Publications, out of the blue. Mr. Dunne called him personally to offer him the job to act as a consultant, for all the publications at Dunne. Daniel told him that he would have an answer for him in a few days. Daniel knew that this meant that Betty and him would be working together again. There was nothing more that Daniel wanted than to be close to his best friend and the woman he loved. However, he didn't want to invade her life. She had worked so hard to find her way, and she didn't need Daniel Meade right there on her heels. The last thing he wanted to do was disrespect her.

On top of the job offer, he stared down at the letter of acceptance to the London College of Communication. His life was coming together. He had a possible job lined up. He had been accepted the college program he wanted to get into. Best of all, Betty and he were spending lot of time together. A month ago, he thought that he had made a mistake, even thinking of giving up and going back to New York. He thought that he shouldn't have come to London. He was happy that things were starting to look better.

The only complication in his way now was his feelings for Betty. He still had not been able to tell her how he felt. The truth was things had started to change, between them. It was almost like he didn't have to say anything, but he knew that soon, he had to. He saw the way that men looked at her. He knew that it was only a matter of time before someone would ask her out - a possibility Daniel tried to push to the back of his mind. He didn't know if he could handle, seeing Betty with another man in her life. He wanted to be that man. He wanted to be the only man in her life.

A voice rang in his head. It was her sweet voice. _"Daniel, anything you truly want has to be worth fighting for." _Daniel knew that was exactly what he needed to do. Despite the risk involved, he couldn't live without her knowing how she made him feel and how he wanted her in his life. He would have to tell her soon.

As Betty looked at the time on her watch, she couldn't believe that Daniel was running late. He promised to help her with her weekend project and she wondered where he was. She hated the horrible green color that had graced the walls of her flat for the weeks since her arrival, and she was replacing it with a cheerful purple.

Betty stood on a ladder in her flat as she tried to paint her bedroom. She was covered in paint. She had paint in her hair and paint speckled all over her clothing. It made her thankful she chose a career in publishing, instead of painting.

As she rolled the paint onto the walls, she thought about the time since she had arrived in London. She thought about her family. She thought about Daniel, and the promise she made him almost a month earlier. She also thought about the conversation that she had with Marc and Amanda weeks earlier. She promised to not read that letter until he was ready for her to see it. She was curious about his request. Her curiosity was peaked and had almost gotten the best of her a few times. It was important, however, that she honored her promise to him.

What shocking revelations would the letter contain? Was Claire's theory correct? Was there something Daniel needed to say? She had to admit. These were questions that were keeping her awake at night lately, especially as Daniel and her began to spend more time together. There were the lunches, the dinners and the weekend trips. It was almost like they were dating at times, she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her front door. Betty placed down the paint roller and tried to wipe the paint of her hands. She made her way to the front door and opened it. Daniel stood there, leaning against the doorframe.

"It looks like you started painting without me." said Daniel, as he walked inside her apartment. "Did you manage to get any paint on the walls? It looks like you have done a good job of painting yourself."

"Like you are an expert or something," said Betty, as she rolled her eyes at him, "What are you laughing at?" Daniel couldn't help himself. He had to laugh. He loved how cute she was at that moment.

"You look so cute when you try to be mad at me," said Daniel.

"You are a funny guy," said Betty, as she giggled. "You are the one who is an hour late. If I had a man here, I wouldn't look like this. Did you bring a man with you?" she teased him.

"Low blow, Suarez," said Daniel, jokingly. Daniel couldn't believe how unbelievable Betty looked in her paint stained overalls and her hair pulled back. He follows Betty into her bedroom to get back to work on the painting project he promised he would help her with. Daniel had never painted anything in his life but for Betty, he would do anything.

As they spent the next few hours together, they laughed and joked. They seemed to get more paint on each other as they reveled in their project together.

Once they were finally finished, they both laid on the floor of her small flat. They looked up at their completed project. They were exhausted from painting and the smell of paint was starting to overwhelm both of them.

"Gosh! Thanks for helping me get all this done," said Betty, "I think that green wall color was starting to make me ill."

"Speaking of ill, you can't stay in here tonight Betty. The paint fumes are going kill you." said Daniel, "You could stay at my place tonight. We could order some dinner and watch a movie."

"You don't have any furniture yet," said Betty, as she looked over at him, "where am I going to sleep?"

"I have some furniture now. Why do you think I was running late? I was having a couch delivered. I will sleep on the couch, and you can have my bed." said Daniel, as he lay on his side, facing her, surrounded by several empty paint cans, and paint rollers. Betty gazed up at the newly painted wall, as she thought about it.

"That would probably be a good idea. I'll do it for you," said Betty, as she laughed, "I wouldn't want you to find me tomorrow after I have been overcome by paint fumes."

After cleaning up at Betty's place, the pair went back to Daniel's place. It was only ten minutes from Betty's on foot, and several minutes by cab. Daniel was glad to have a place so close to Betty's. Betty seemed to enjoy the idea too. It made Betty feel safe, knowing that he was nearby. It was almost like a security blanket to her. When she was with him, she felt safe and protected. Of course, Betty could protect herself, but there was a gentle feeling of closeness she felt when they were together.

"I'm going to get a shower and try to get some of this paint off of me." said Daniel, "Why don't you order dinner and make yourself comfortable?"

"I like your couch. I can sleep there tonight. It won't be a problem." said Betty.

"What kind of gentleman would I be if I let you sleep on the couch?" said Daniel, as he shook his head, "You are sleeping in my room, and that's the last I want to hear about it."

"You win." said Betty, "I hope you can get all that purple paint off of you."

"If I don't, I will always have a reminder of you," said Daniel, jokingly.

"Like you could ever forget me anyway, you are the one who said you couldn't live without me," said Betty, as she started going through her bag, to find her clothes, "oh no! I forgot my other clothes. I only brought my work clothes for tomorrow. I could run back to my place."

"I'll find something for you to wear," said Daniel, as he went into his room and got her a t-shirt and shorts and returned with them, in hand, "they might be a little big, but I'm sure they'll work."

"Thank you, Daniel." said Betty, as she took the clothes from his hands. While Daniel was taking a shower, Betty changed clothes, ordered their dinner and got comfortable. When Daniel came out of the shower, he found her curled up on the couch in his Harvard t-shirt and shorts in her bare feet, as she looked through a folder of papers.

"What are you looking at?" said Daniel, curiously, as he watched her shuffle through the papers.

"Work stuff." said Betty. Daniel walks over, and sits next to her on the couch.

"Hey! There is something that I need to tell you Betty." said Daniel. Betty looked over at him, as she noticed his tone change.

"I got a job offer" said Daniel. Betty's eyes light up with excitement.

"That's wonderful." said Betty.

"I just wanted to make sure that it was okay with you if I accept it." said Daniel.

"You don't need my approval." said Betty.

"The job offer is at Dunne Publications. I would be working as a consultant," said Daniel, Mr. Dunne offered me the job the other day."

"That's great, Daniel. Is this something you want to do?" said Betty.

"I don't want to invade your work space," said Daniel, "if you don't want me there, I won't accept the job."

"You didn't answer my question, Daniel," said Betty, insistently, "is this something you want to do?"

"Yes!" said Daniel. Betty smiled at him.

"I want you to do what you want to do, Daniel." said Betty, "Plus, I'm like the idea of having you nearby. You are my best friend. I want what makes you happy." He takes the folder from her hand, and places it on the coffee table. She hugs him tightly.

"There is more, Betty." said Daniel, as Betty released him from their hug. Betty looked at him. "I got accepted into the program at London College of Communication. I just heard this morning. I wasn't expecting to hear back from them this soon. Mr. Dunne said they will work around my courses."

"I'm so happy for you, Daniel!" screamed Betty as she proceeded to jump up and down, as she clung tightly to Daniel, again. Daniel laughed at her excitement.

"That means a lot to me, Betty." said Daniel.

"Everything is coming together for you," said Betty. She smiled at him. "I'm glad you are here in London with me. You have made this transition so much easier for me."

"I'm glad that I'm here with you." said Daniel, as he smiled back at her, "Did you order dinner?"

"It will be here soon." said Betty, as he placed his hand on her knee.

"Why don't you pick out a movie? I have a bottle of wine in the refrigerator. I think we need to celebrate." said Daniel, as he got up and made his way to the kitchen. Betty got up and looked through the stacks of DVDs, next to the television. As he grabbed the bottle of wine and two glasses, he went back into the room, placing the glasses and bottle on the table in front of the couch.

"Find anything good," said Daniel, "I don't even know what movies are there. Tyler boxed up some of my stuff for me, and shipped it."

"We could watch Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants or Resident Evil." said Betty, as she glanced over at Daniel, "What are you doing with a copy of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants anyway?" Betty laughed hysterically.

"Uh, I don't know," said Daniel, as he walked up behind her, "Amanda helped Tyler pack up some of my stuff. It's probably a joke or something. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff I found in those boxes."

"Don't worry! I don't doubt your manhood." said Betty, "It's actually a pretty good movie."

"Well, I know you don't want to watch Resident Evil. You won't sleep tonight," said Daniel, as he grinned at her, "and you won't want to turn off the lights."

"I grew up in Queens. I don't scare that easily," said Betty, "I saw parts of the movie before. The guy who plays the cop in that movie is pretty hot. Plus, you are here to protect me." They both heard the doorbell rang.

"That would be our dinner. I'll be right back." said Daniel. Daniel goes to the door, where the delivery guy has their dinner. He pays him and then shuts the door behind him. He placed the Chinese food on the coffee table. "Sorry. I don't have a table yet. It'll be my next purchase."

"We don't have to be all formal, Daniel." said Betty, as she places the DVD in the player. "We have eaten dinner sprawled out on the Mode conference room table." Daniel and Betty sit down, in front of the coffee table. Daniel opens the wine, and pours some into each of the glasses. He hands a glass to Betty.

"What should we toast to?" said Betty, as she held her glass.

"New beginnings!" said Daniel, as he smiled at her. There was a sparkle in Daniel's eye went he said those words.

"New beginnings!" said Betty, as they clicked their glasses together. She looked back at Daniel and blushed as she took a sip from her glass.

The next morning, Daniel woke to the sound of banging on his front door. As he stumbled to the front door, he wondered who it could be. Betty was one of the only people he knew in London and she was sleeping peacefully in the next room. He opened the door to find Alexis and DJ standing at his front door.

"What are you doing here?" said Daniel in a surprised tone.

"Well, we called but you haven't been answering your cell phone," said Alexis, as she barged her way in through the door. As she looked around at the sparsely furnished flat, she turned her attention back to Daniel, "I promised mom that we would come see you while we were in town." Daniel picked up his cell phone and realized that he had turned it off yesterday. He hadn't wanted to be disturbed while he was spending time with Betty.

"I would offer you some breakfast but I'm still getting settled." said Daniel. It was then that they heard something stirring from the other room, "We could go out and get some breakfast."

"Daniel, did we interrupt something?" said Alexis cunningly, "I didn't think you would be entertaining so soon." Betty emerged from Daniel's bedroom, dressed in Daniel's Harvard t-shirt and a pair of shorts. The group turned their attention to Betty, who was stunned to see Alexis and DJ standing in the living room.

"Betty!" said DJ, who rushed over to hug her. Betty hugged the boy.

"Hi! Betty. I didn't know that you were here," said Alexis, "it's great to see you again." Alexis smiled suggestively at Daniel, "We were going to go grab some breakfast. Do you want to go?"

"It's great to see both of you," said Betty, as she tugged at the side of Daniel's Harvard t-shirt, "I would love to go but I have to run to the office this morning. You know how deadlines can be." Alexis smiled and nodded. Betty quickly retreated back into Daniel's bedroom and changed clothes.

"Well little brother, I was blown away when mom told me why you came to London. I'm glad to see that it was confirmed," said Alexis, "Honestly, I had seen this coming for years."

"It's really isn't what it looks like," said Daniel in a whisper, "I respect Betty. I slept on the couch."

"She's wearing your Harvard t-shirt, Daniel," said Alexis, curiously, as she stood there with her arms crossed. They looked over at DJ, who was playing a video game and sitting on the couch.

"She forgot some of her clothes at her apartment. I lent her some of mine." said Daniel.

"It's me, Daniel! You can't lie to me. I know that look. You love her. You didn't just come to London to start over on your own. You came to start over with her," said Alexis, "the one problem is that you haven't told her. What the heck are you waiting on, Danny? "

"I'm trying to go back to school and get my life together. I want to do something on my own." said Daniel.

"I admire you for that, Danny. You can't deny it though. Can you?" said Alexis.

"Deny what, Alexis?" said Daniel, as he exhaled all the breath in his lungs and stood akimbo.

"You can't deny that you love her," said Alexis, with a smile, "I promised that we will change subject for now. I need to ask a favor of you."

"What do you need?" said Daniel.

"Would it be okay if DJ stays with you this week? His grandparents are away, and I need to go away on business this week." said Alexis.

"No problem! I would love that!" said Daniel, as he smiled. He was glad to spend time with DJ. They really hadn't spent any time together since he returned to France, a few years earlier. He still could recall the day that the boy showed up in his office, with a letter from Lucy. He remembers the fear that he had when he found out that DJ was his son and he remembered the heartbreak when he found out that Alex was DJ's father.

"Thank you so much, Daniel." said Alexis, as she hugs him. Betty comes out of his bedroom dressed for work. Alexis could hardly believe that this was the same Betty Suarez who used to wear clashing patterns and had braces. Alexis also knew that the new improved Betty had nothing to do with the feelings that Daniel had for his former assistant. Those feelings had already been in development, when her braces and bushy eyebrows were part of her everyday life.

"It was great to see you, Betty. I'll be back in town in about a week perhaps, then we can all have dinner together." said Alexis thoughtfully as she quickly glanced at Daniel's love-struck face.

"Absolutely! I look forward to it." said Betty to Alexis. Betty smiles at Daniel as she turns to him, "I'll see you later, Daniel. Thank you for letting me stay over and helping me yesterday." She reaches up and kisses him on the cheek. Alexis tilts her head affectionately.

"It was my pleasure. I'm here anytime you need me Betty. I'll call you this afternoon," said Daniel as he smiles back at her, like a school boy with a crush.

"Okay! I'll talk to you soon." said Betty. She was so glad to have Daniel there with her in London. Daniel opened the front door and let Betty out. As he closed the door behind her, he looked back at Alexis.

"You are in so deep, Daniel. You have no idea." said Alexis, as she crossed her arms and shook her head. Daniel smiled back at his sister.

As Betty sat her desk, she worked trying to finish up her work. Working on a Sunday was not what she wanted to be doing. She was in the office alone and there was no sound around her, just the sound of silence. She reached inside her drawer to pull out some papers - there it was. It was her final issue of Mode. It was the one with the letter that he didn't want her to read.

She needed to talk to him about it. She needed to know why he didn't want her to read that letter. Did he write something about her? He wrote the letter when he was angry. She hoped there wasn't anything horrible in there. If there was, he probably thought she would hate him for it. Truth was, she could never hate him. Betty knew how much she hurt Daniel when she came to London, but they were past that… she hoped.

There was part of her that didn't want to read the letter. Would it be better to not know? If it was bad, it could ruin everything. If it were good, it could change everything. Would it be better to leave it alone?

As she finished up her work for the day, she picked up the magazine and gathered her things. There was something that she needed to do. As she walked out of the building, her cell phone rang.

"Hello!" said Betty.

"Hey, gorgeous," said Daniel.

"Hello!" said Betty, with a smile on her face, "I was just thinking about you."

"Oh really!" said Daniel charismatically.

"Is it okay if I stop by on my way home?" said Betty.

"Sure. I was calling to ask if you wanted to have dinner with DJ and I anyway." said Daniel.

"That sounds great. I'm starving." said Betty, as she clutched the magazine in her hand, "Do you need me to pick anything up on my way?"

"Just bring yourself," said Daniel, "I'll see you, when you get here."

"I'll be there in about five minutes." said Betty, as she hung up the phone. As she walked along the sidewalk, her cell phone rang again as quickly as she hung up.

"Did you miss me already? I'll be there in a few minutes, Daniel." said Betty.

"It's not Daniel, Betty!" said Hilda, "Remember me? Your sister!"

"Sorry! I just hung up with Daniel." said Betty, "I'm on my way to his place for dinner."

"That sounds romantic." said Hilda.

"DJ is in town. It's not like that, but there is something I have to talk to Daniel about tonight." said Betty, "Honestly, I'm scared to death."

"Is this about that letter?" said Hilda inquisitively.

"Yes! He didn't want me to read it. I kept my promise, but I need to know." said Betty, "Things are going so great. Daniel just got a job, and he is going to be working on his masters. I am so proud of him. I just don't understand some of the feelings that I'm having. I'm so happy when I'm with him."

"You're the matching _Prada_ shoes for his _Prada_ belt." said Hilda.

"Have you been talking to Marc? He said exactly the same thing!" said Betty, "Hilda, tell me what I'm walking into. It seems that everyone on your side of the pond knows." Betty stands in front of Daniel's building, and looks up.

"That is something you have to figure out for yourself." said Hilda as Betty made her way up the stairs to Daniel's floor.

"Okay, I'm from Queens. I can handle this," said Betty, "I'm an attractive, intelligent, confident business woman. I can handle anything." Betty couldn't believe she just quoted Sofia Reyes's book, who also was Daniel's former fiancé. It gave her chills, just thinking of that day. Betty knocked on Daniel's door.

"That's the spirit," said Hilda, "anyway, the reason I was calling was to give you some great news."

"What news?" said Betty. Daniel opens the door, and smiles at the sight of Betty.

"I'm pregnant!" screamed Hilda. Betty had to jerk the phone away from her ear so she wouldn't lose her hearing. She quickly replaced the phone to her ear.

"You're pregnant? That's fantastic news! Congratulations!" screamed Betty, ecstatically. Daniel's eyes lit up when he saw the excitement on Betty's face. "Daniel, Hilda's pregnant. I can't believe this." Betty gave the phone to Daniel for a moment.

"Congratulations, Hilda." said Daniel.

"Thanks, Daniel! Bobby is thrilled." said Hilda. Daniel handed the phone back to Betty.

"Okay. I will call you tomorrow. I need to know all the details. I need to know when I need to come home. I don't want to miss out." said Betty.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow. I want to know all the details after your talk with Daniel." said Hilda.

"You got it, every detail." said Betty as she hung up and placed her cell phone in her bag. Betty jumped up and down with excitement. She threw her arms around Daniel, who was also very happy for Hilda and Bobby.

"Great news, Betty!" said Daniel as he released her from the hug, but held on her side of her arms, "You are a fantastic aunt."

"Betty! You are going to be an aunt again. Congratulations." said DJ. His English had really improved over the last few years since she had seen him. Betty shook her head.

"Dinner is almost done. Did you meet your deadlines?" said Daniel as he went back into the kitchen. Betty placed her bag down and followed him.

"Yes I did." said Betty. "It is so easy to get work done when the phones aren't ringing and you don't have tons of meetings to go to."

"I want you to know that I'm really proud of you for everything you are doing," said Daniel, "when I first got here, I admit that I gave you a hard time about it. I was jealous of your success. I'm really sorry."

"That's understandable. You were at a strange point in your life. You were far from home. You were starting over, and didn't know where to go." said Betty.

"Thank you, Betty." said Daniel, "You are a really important part of my life and the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt you."

"I know that," said Betty, "so did you call Mr. Dunne about the job?"

"Yes. I start a week from tomorrow. DJ will be leaving next Sunday. Alexis had to go out of town on business. Classes start in three weeks," said Daniel as he finished up dinner. Betty looked at him strangely, "my life is starting to fall into place."

"Since when do you cook?" said Betty, curiously.

"There are all kinds of things you don't know about me." said Daniel. He smiled back at her.

"Well, I think I want to know more about you then." said Betty flirtatiously. Daniel looked over at her and noticed something different. He just smiled back at her as he wondered what could be going through her mind.

After dinner was finished, Daniel told DJ that he would be back shortly. He was going to walk Betty home. As they walked down the front steps of his building, Betty stopped. Daniel turned back to her.

"I need to know, Daniel." said Betty, as she removed their final issue of Mode, from her oversized bag, "I kept my promise. I didn't read the letter, but it's been on my mind for weeks now. I know you said that there were things in it you weren't ready to face. Daniel, you don't have to face anything alone. If you still don't want me to read it, I will keep my promise, but please don't keep me in the dark." Daniel moved closer to her and took the magazine from her hand, gently. He looked down at the magazine and then back to her. He took her soft hand in his, and led her to the bench in front of his building.

"I want you to read it," said Daniel as he opened to the page and handed the magazine to her. She looked up at him and could tell that he was nervous. She took the magazines from his hands and began to read.

_**Letter to the Editor**_

_ A hundred years is plenty of time for a lot to happen in anything. Political powers change hands and change back again, cultural movements evolve into something completely different, whole empires rise and fall. And yet, this is somehow even truer for the world of fashion, one in which a constant state of changing attitudes is implied by the very term itself. For a hundred years, Mode Magazine has been a leader, an ambassador, a harbinger, an opponent of and a champion for shifts in the way our society sees itself, and our next issue is a celebration of that complicated legacy. _

_Of course, an institution like Mode cannot even pretend to the throne of molding the attitudes of culture if it were not full of attitude itself. And attitude is one thing Mode has always had in abundance. To be honest, sometimes I feel as though we at Mode pack a hundred years worth of it into one day, especially since my co-Editor-in-Chief, Wilhelmina Slater, came on the scene. Ah, but I kid... _

_...And yet, I don't - the truth is, the field of fashion is one that is both fast and fierce, and sometimes you have to go through a hundred years worth of attitudes in a day to find the one that suits the precise pulse of our culture at that given point. It's an amazing and arduous process, but, to be even more honest, it's one for which I admit I am not a natural fit, one for which Wilhelmina is._

_Since I've experienced so much attitude in my time at Mode, I'd like to posit an observation: One thing that is often lost in the changing of an attitude is the cause for that change. This is best understood when you consider attitudes on a personal level. **I ask you, dear reader, to think back to a time when you experienced a major shift in your life. Was it an external change, something that happened outside of you, and forced a change of attitude to help you adapt to the future? Perhaps you saw a friend demonstrate a prowess that cast her in a new light. Heck, maybe it was as simple as your friend getting a makeover. Or perhaps that friend was undergoing her own life change, one in which she would no longer be present in your life, compelling you to make your own change to keep her in it, even if it were in a new context.**_

_**Just as important: Maybe the change was an internal one. Maybe you realized you were no longer interested in maintaining your status quo. Perhaps you wanted to try new challenges not only in your professional life, but also in your personal one. Or maybe one day something just changed inside you in the way you saw that good friend, causing you to want her to be more than, well, just a friend. **_

_As you experience our One Hundred Years of Attitude Issue, I ask that you consider not only the attitudes themselves, but the causes that precipitated their change and coming to be. **Often the changes in attitude that are the most powerful are rooted in causes that come from without and within. When that unusual synergy occurs, love is often the result. And take it from me: Love is the one attitude that never goes out of fashion. **_

_- Daniel Meade_

_(Found on )_

As Betty read each and every word of the letter, she knew that Claire's theory had been correct. Daniel didn't hate her when she left. He was broken-hearted. It made sense now. Over the past month of wondering about the letter, this was one of the scenarios that had been plausible in her mind. She would rather Daniel love her than hate her. It was just that simple.

She looked over at Daniel, who was resting his elbows on his knees, as he looked down nervously. She could tell that he expected the worst.

"Daniel!" said Betty looking over at him with a smile. He lifted his body up from his previous position and looked over at her.

"Yeah…?" said Daniel in a shaky voice. For Daniel, it almost felt like the world is about to end.

"It's a beautiful letter, Daniel," said Betty, "I'm touched. You are right about one thing."

"What's that?" said Daniel.

"Love is an attitude that never goes out of fashion." said Betty lovingly. Daniel smiled.

"You aren't upset that I wrote that for the whole world to see?" said Daniel, with hint of relief in his voice.

"No! You could have moved anywhere in the world to start over. You moved your life across an ocean when you could have stayed in New York. You printed your feelings for me in a national magazine for millions to read," said Betty, "it's the most romantic thing any man has ever done for me."

"I'm sorry that I didn't let you see it earlier. I thought I didn't deserve you. I didn't have a job. I had no path. You deserve so much in life," said Daniel, "I wanted to be a man you could be proud of."

"You are a man that I'm proud of. You are my best friend and we could try dating and see where this leads," said Betty.

"What happens if we screw up and we lose everything we took years to build? I can't lose you!" said Daniel.

"We will fix it. We always do. You will never lose me. The only thing I do know is that when I'm with you, I feel safe and loved." said Betty, "How about you walk me home?" They both stood and faced each other.

"I love you, Betty." said Daniel. Daniel couldn't believe that he said it. However, it was the best and most natural feeling in the world. There was no more dark cloud hanging over his head. The sunshine of her smile as she listened to him say those special words, made the cloud disappear.

"I love you too." said Betty. She leaned up, and pressed her lips to his. It was a sweet and gentle kiss, which left them both speechless. As they pulled back from each other, Daniel flashed his famous Meade smile. Betty couldn't help but smile back.

Daniel gently placed her hand in his, they walked down the sidewalk to Betty's flat. As they walked along, they made plans for the following week. Daniel wanted to take her to dinner the following night and they planned a trip to some museums with DJ the following weekend.

In a small way, it was strange for them. Through the years, their relationship had changed from boss/assistant to best friends. Now they were venturing into a relationship as a couple. It was nothing either of them envisioned they would ever be. However, they were both happy with the recent change of events, and look forward to what lay ahead for them.


	6. S05E05: Assumptions & Adjustments

Assumptions and Adjustments

Betty Suarez watched the digits on the clock on her computer slowly change from 4:59 to 5:00pm. With a happy squeal (which elicited the stares of several of her coworkers), she shut her computer down and slid out of her desk chair. "See you tomorrow," she called brightly to her coworkers..

In another corner of London, Daniel Meade impatiently drummed his manicured nails on his desk as he waited for his Professor to finish lecturing. He knew it was the first day of class, but really? Did the guy have to go on and on about nothing? As soon as the professor finished, he bolted out the door and headed toward the Underground.

Betty and he had their first date tonight! They had tried several times to go out as an official couple, but work and DJ had trumped those plans. So tonight was the big night, and they were both excited.

Daniel bounded down the steps of the Elephant and Castle Station, whistling a happy tune. Betty skipped out of her office—and straight into a plate glass wall. As she fell flat onto her back, images of her first day at _Mode _flooded her brain. A swarm of people clustered around her.

"I'm okay!" she shouted, but her nose throbbed in disagreement.

Daniel tried not to glance at his wristwatch again, but the impulse was too strong to ignore. Betty was twenty minutes late, which was not like her. Should he call to find out if she was okay? Or maybe there was a breakdown on the Underground, and her cell phone had no reception right now? _Or maybe she chickened out of the date,_ a cynical voice suggested. He tried to brush his fears aside.

Daniel was relieved and only slightly surprised when Betty arrived at the pub sporting a bruise and a bandage on her nose. "I'm sorry I'm late," she apologized in a nasal voice. "I broke my nose, and my colleagues insisted I see the doctor that's on the third floor of our office building."

Daniel wanted to kiss her injury and make in better, but he wasn't sure if they were far enough into their relationship for that level of intimacy. Instead, he grasped her hand and grinned teasingly, "There has to be a less painful way of getting out of a date with me." His blue eyes pierced her, and Betty felt a blush rise to her cheeks, which for some reason made her nose hurt even worse.

Daniel looked at his watch again. "Well, since you're late, we don't really have time for drinks before dinner."

Betty waved her hand dismissively. "That's fine. The doctor gave me something for the pain, and I'm not sure, if I should mix it with alcohol."

Worry lines creased his brow. "Are you sure you're okay? We could reschedule." He prayed she would say no, but he also wanted what was best for her.

Betty hesitated, which wasn't a good sign in Daniel's mind. There was a part of her that had been so excited earlier that she had carelessly run into a wall—that part wanted to be with Daniel and explore their newfound relationship. But another part was telling her to flee, and her nose was the perfect excuse. "If you don't mind," she said in a small voice, aware of the disappointment veiled behind Daniel's reassuring smile.

"That's fine," he lied. "I just started classes, and I'm really overwhelmed right now."

Betty gave his hand a final squeeze. "Thanks for being so understanding."

"That's me," he said with a sarcastic drip. "I'm the epitome of understanding."

Betty felt a pang of remorse as she exited the pub. She knew how much Daniel had been looking forward to their date. She also knew he was completely and passionately in love with her, something she wasn't sure she reciprocated yet. She loved him, but there was this niggling fear that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to love him the same way. And then what would happen? Would Daniel be so disillusioned he'd dissolve their friendship and move back to New York? Betty couldn't bear that.

By the time she got back to her flat, her stomach was in knots imagining the terrible mess they were going to have if and when she realized she couldn't love him romantically. She decided the best remedy for her worries would be a call to her family. Everything seemed to be going well for Hilda, Bobby and Justin. First, Justin had been accepted into the academy of art and theatre and now Hilda was pregnant. Papi was just happy his _familia _was doing so well.

She dialed Hilda's cell and waited impatiently for her sister to answer. On the eleventh ring, Hilda finally picked up. "Hello?" she managed to get out between giggles.

"Hey, Hilda," Betty began hesitantly. Now that she'd called, she found she had nothing to say. She couldn't burden her bubbly sister with her admittedly unsubstantiated fears.

Hilda didn't seem to notice the uncomfortable pause. "You should see Papi right now. He's covered in paint! We're redecorating the den as the baby's room," she explained.

Papi walked out of said room, wiping his hands on a rag. "Is that Betty? Hello, _Mi'ja_!" he called.

"Hi, Papi," Betty yelled back into her mouthpiece.

Hilda pulled the phone away from her ear. "Jeez, don't make me go deaf, Betty. Anyways, why are you calling so early? Aren't you supposed to be on a date with Daniel? Her tone was laced with concern.

"Oh. I broke my nose and had to cancel." This statement produced a whole slew of exclamations and advice from her family members. By the time she hung up, Betty's nose was throbbing from all the unsolicited attention. She crawled into bed with a bowl of ice cream, where she spent the night feeling miserable for her nose and her treatment of Daniel.

Meanwhile, Hilda went back to decorating the baby's room. Around five o'clock, Papi went into the kitchen to prepare a Mexican feast while Hilda applied the finishing touches to the paint. About an hour later, Bobby returned from work and was met with a disorderly surprise.

The living area was a wreck. The excess office furniture was scattered around the four corners of the room, its contemporary style clashing with the traditional yet chic styling of the living room furniture. Extra tarps were draped on the back of the couch and on any other available space. The pungent odor of Mexican food and paint drifted into his nostrils and sat like lead in his stomach.

"HILDA!" Bobby screamed.

Hilda dashed out, looking perplexed. "What's wrong, Honey?"

"What's my office doing out here in the living room?"

"I told you, we were remodeling the den for the baby today." She dragged him unwillingly into the room to show off her handiwork. "Papi and I just finished the first coat, and Justin has offered to put up a border that will make the yellow really pop!"

Bobby let out a deflated, "Whoop de doo."

Hilda punched him lightly in the arm. "You could at least pretend to like it." She tilted her head to the side and scrutinized the room. "Is the shade too light? I wanted to go with a darker hue, but Justin said pastel yellow was the 'it' color for babies this year."

"Who cares about the paint!" Bobby stomped back to the main living area. "Where is my office supposed to go now?"

His brow furrowed with concern, Papi sneaked to the doorway separating the kitchen from the living room. He wielded a carving knife protectively.

We discussed this," Hilda snapped. "We're making room for it in here." She gestured to the cramped quarters.

Bobby glared at his desk which was currently blocking his hi def TV. "You're doing a great job so far," he snarled.

Hilda recoiled, as if physically struck. "What's wrong with you?" Her voice came out quiet and tremulous. "You have a bad day at work or something?"

"Work was fine. I'm just sick to death with everything being about _that baby._" With that, he stormed into their bedroom and slammed the door.

Hilda was about to follow when she spotted her father watching from the doorway. Papi opened his arms, and she readily collapsed into them. He kissed the top of her head. "Are you all right, _Mi'ja_?

"Of course I am." She tried to smile but dissolved into tears. "I don't think he wants this baby," she choked.

Justin knew he should be getting home, but hanging out with Austin was so much fun. Besides, could he help it if Austin had put on "_Hello, Dolly!"_ at a quarter to five? He couldn't just leave during a Barbra Streisand movie for Pete's sake!

Justin nestled deeper into the sofa at Austin's apartment. "This is heaven," he proclaimed.

Austin grinned. "Totally!"

"I just can't believe that summer's almost over and I'll be heading off to that new school without you!" Justin stuck his bottom lip out in a noticeable pout, hoping for some sympathy, but Austin didn't respond. He stared unblinkingly at his mother in the adjoining room. Justin didn't know why his boyfriend had suddenly decided he was ashamed of _them _as a couple, but it was getting annoying—and hurtful.

The reprise of "_Hello, Dolly!" _filled the air. "Well, I guess I should be getting home," Justin trailed off. Usually this was the part where Austin led him to the door, and they "said" their goodbyes. Tonight, Austin remained sprawled on the sofa.

"Be careful on the subway, man," he mumbled, his eyes glued to the TV screen.

Justin gritted his teeth, but put on his best happy face for Austin's mom. "Goodnight," he called to her.

"Goodnight, Justin." Like her son, she didn't look up from her needlepoint.

Justin was beginning to suspect Austin's parents had something to do with his cold behavior. He guessed they weren't as receptive as his mother had been about his outing, and were trying to guilt Austin into acting distant. Disgruntled, Justin skulked out the door and into the streets.

Daniel was not accustomed to early mornings. When his alarm went off at 5:15am, he cursed his clock. Then he noticed the late summer sun peeping through his blinds and cursed that as well. For good measure, he cursed Great Britain for being this far north and having sunrises at an ungodly hours.

If he was really honest with himself, he knew his real frustration was with Betty's cancellation. If she hadn't cancelled, he might've awoken this morning with a sleeping angel in his arms. Of course, he didn't think Betty was the type to come home with a fellow on the first date…regardless, how much he wanted her to be.

He plodded to the bathroom where he went through the arduous task of getting ready for the day. He had another class this morning at 8:00 a.m. Who could function at that hour of the morning? Certainly not him!

He had set his alarm extra early to make sure he got to class on time. Despite his best efforts, he was five minutes late. The professor, a wiry woman with equally wiry hair and glasses, glared at him. "I'm sorry, I'm late," he mumbled. "The subway—that is—the underground…"

"Oh, goodie, another privileged Yank," the professor sarcastically drawled. She thrust a syllabus at Daniel and ordered him to sit. She looked down at her roll call. "You must be the infamous Daniel Meade. Your spoiled reputation precedes you."

The class tittered nervously as Daniel turned a violent shade of vermillion. He felt he had to do something to honor his family's name—and defend himself. "Actually, Professor," he consulted the top of the syllabus, "Davies—"

She raised a hand to silence him. "That's _Dave-is_, not _Davees. _And I don't care to hear your excuses, young man." She directed her attention to the rest of the class. "Now, shall we begin?"

Daniel gritted his teeth. This day was going from bad to worse.

He was still in a disgruntled mood when he arrived at work later that morning. Betty's beaming face should've elevated his spirits, but she only reminded him of their botched date instead. He grimaced and tried to pass her office without talking, but she called out to him from her desk. "How did your class go?"

Daniel muttered something unintelligible in reply.

"You either said 'well' or 'hell.'" Betty bit her bottom lip and rose to her feet in concern. "What happened?"

Knowing she wouldn't leave him in peace till he told her, Daniel slipped into her office and shut the door. "The professor was an absolute bully."

Betty took several steps towards him. "What did he do?"

"_She_," Daniel corrected, "knew all about my former pathetic life in New York as the East Coast's #1 bachelor."

Betty scrunched her eyebrows together. "Really? You were the East Coast's #1?"

"That's beside the point." Daniel began pacing. "The point is she won't even give me a chance to show her I've changed."

Betty grabbed him by the shoulders and held him still. "You'll just have to prove your worth."

"But _how_?"

"Hard work and determination…the usual." Betty had not removed her hands from his shoulders. Now she absently played with his lapel, smoothing out an imaginary wrinkle.

Daniel's pulse quickened. He leaned forward to brush his lips against hers, but ended up brushing her nose instead. Betty let out a low whimper. "Sorry. How's your nose?" he asked gently.

Betty shrugged. "The same as yesterday." She noted his frown. "Don't worry; I'll soon be good as new." Reading his mind, she added, "And then we can go on that date."

Daniel's bad mood had returned in ten-fold. Why did they have to keep postponing this date? Was Betty really as committed to this relationship as he was? "I have work to do," he said brusquely and marched out of her office and into his own. Yes, this had to be one of the worst days of his life!

Across the pond, Marc St. James was just rising from a peaceful slumber. His roomie had been out most of the night with her father, which meant the apartment had been nice and quiet, perfect for getting some much needed shut-eye. He stretched then swore as his phone beeped impatiently from the bedside table. It was only 6:00 am and already Wilhelmina was calling him. The message was a reminder to bring a basket of fruit for the advertising company they were meeting with that afternoon.

Marc wanted to text back, "I'm the creative director, not your assistant anymore. Get your own fruit baskets." But firstly, he was too lazy to type that all out, and secondly, he was afraid to incur her wrath, especially before she had her morning facial.

Marc padded out to the kitchen/living room and was surprised to see Amanda seated at the table, adding gaudy appliqué to a denim jacket. "Mandy, didn't you sleep at all last night?"

"Nope. Spencer got me home around three, and I thought, _what's the point of going to bed? _So I just went to work."

"I can't believe you went clubbing with your father." Marc let out an envious sigh. "You are soooo lucky."

"Yeah, yeah, my pop's a peach. Meanwhile my business is bombing." She raised an accusatory eyebrow at him. "And you don't seem to care."

Marc tried to keep the guilt off his face. "I don't?" He didn't mean to be heartless, but it was hard to care when he was so consumed with his own problems. He was trying to fix things with Trevor or Trey while he also attempted to win Wili's approval as creative director.

Amanda tossed her work aside. "Marc, what's wrong with my fashion sense?"

Marc eyed the hideous jacket but said nothing.

"Why can't I catch a break like you and Betty did? Betty's not even pretty like we are!"

"I don't know." Marc placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. His cell phone buzzed again. "But I have to get ready for work." He raced back into his bedroom and slammed the door.

Jarred by his abrupt change of mood, Amanda nearly fell off her chair. She sighed and began plucking at the appliqué. "What I need is a new client," she called to Marc. He emerged from his room in a bathrobe and rushed into the washroom. "What about Tyler?" she yelled over the sound of running water.

March poked his head out the door. "Tyler? He wouldn't be caught dead in your clothes." Noticing her hurt expression, he added, "That hillbilly wouldn't know good fashion if it bit him in his cute butt." He stuck his head back in.

"Well, I have to think of _something_," she mumbled.

Marc was ready in an hour (he was a diva, after all) and left Amanda with empty promises to come up with a solution for her predicament. Thanks to rush hour it took another 45 minutes to get downtown to _Mode. _After a few minutes gabbing with the new receptionist, he made it to his office—where Wilhelmina was waiting impatiently. "Where the hell have you been?" she demanded.

Marc looked at his watch. He was five minutes early. What was her problem?

"Where's the fruit basket?" Wili persisted.

A sinking feeling hit his stomach like a ton of bricks. "I forgot it, Wili—" Before she could bellow some choice words about his idiocy and incompetence, he continued, "But not to worry, I'll get someone right on it." As Wilhelmina stomped away, he rolled his eyes. When would she realize he wasn't her personal slave anymore? He was the creative director who had to make the final adjustments for next issue's cover story. The company meeting was this morning, and he wanted to make sure his pitch about an up-and-coming New York designer was absolutely perfect.

He signed onto his email to make certain the meeting time had not been changed and gasped when he saw the first message in his inbox. "Oh, Sweet Oprah, save me_,_" he cried.

Wili stalked Mode like a lioness on the prowl, her keen eyes observing every little fashion faux pas on her staff. "What are those shoes?" she barked at one lady. To another, she said, "Alexander McQueen may be dead, but that doesn't give you the right to dishonor his name with that cheap knockoff."

She smiled superiorly. The criticism empowered her, made her feel twice as important. She was now the Editor-in-Chief and besides her changes to the magazine, she was implementing changes in the workers wardrobes as well. No more Betty Suarezes ruining the company's image. Every employee had to dress the part of a _fashionista_.

As she rounded the corner to her office, she ignored the glares and nervous glances of her employees. Before entering her office she turned to address her insubordinates once more. "Fashion's a bitch," she proclaimed loudly. "So suck it up!" With that crude line coming from the Beauty Queen of _Mode_, the employees began whispering amongst themselves.

"Who does she think she is?"

"I've got blisters on my feet from these stupid Jimmy Choos."

"She was never this mean when Daniel was around."

"It's all his fault for leaving."

"I hope she gets her just desserts."

Wilhelmina heard nothing through her shut door. Even if she had, she wouldn't have cared. What did it matter what her subordinates thought of her when she had so much power? She could fire them all if she wished.

Wili made quick work of the articles on her desk, sending them back to their writers with red ink stains dotting each page. She was preparing for her meeting at 10:30 when Claire entered with a mousy looking creature wearing a wool skirt and orthopedic shoes. "Claire, are you trying to make my eyes bleed?"

Claire sagely ignored the comment. "This is Lisa. She has a problem with your new—erm—fashion policies."

Lisa looked ready to bolt, but Claire pushed her forward. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Wilhelmina glared. "What is this? You're wasting my time."

Mrs. Meade jumped in. "Lisa has missing toes."

Wili felt bile rise in her throat at the thought. "Excuse me?"

"She can't wear the designer shoes that _you _made mandatory last week."

"And what's her excuse for that abominable skirt?" Wili snapped.

"Wool skirts haven't been outlawed…yet," Claire replied. "In any case, I'm using my power to overrule your decision. You will not fine or fire Lisa for her shoes." She whipped around and marched out, leaving a trail of expensive perfume in her wake.

Lisa remained, immobile with fear. Wili narrowed her eyes, and, yelping, Lisa fled the room.

Several hours later, Wili made her way to the conference room to work out the finer details of the next issue with the rest of the crew. She spotted Marc on the way and was about the chew him out about the fruit basket when he raised his hand to silence her. Stunned at his rude gesture, she actually kept quiet.

"The fruit basket has arrived," he whispered as he passed by her into the room.

Appeased, she entered and surveyed the motley crew in front of her. "Well, let's see if you idiots have your act together."

Her subordinates squirmed at her jab and shuffled their papers nervously. A few actually stared defiantly into her eyes. What impertinence! She stared icily back until they withdrew their gazes. Satisfied, she called the meeting to order. Everything was going well until Wili turned her attention to Marc. "And is Adriana Turnebleau ready for the fashion shoot Wednesday?

Marc hesitated for a fraction of a second. "Actually, I'm thinking we should go another direction. Why focus on an up and coming designer when we have a whole truckload of the world's best designers on speed dial?"

Wilhelmina pursed her lips, which were not quite flexible after her latest treatment of Botox. "You're the one who wanted to pursue this 'New Talent in New York' theme. I gave in despite my better judgment. We're going through with it. Is that clear?"

Marc gulped, perspiration trickling down his neck. "We can't."

"And why not?"

"Adriana canceled," he spat out.

"What?"

"She emailed me to say she couldn't go through with the project. And then when the rest of the crew found out, they quit, too."

"Who cancels a business deal over email?" Wilhelmina demanded. "Never mind. I don't need to know. I'm disappointed in you, Marc."

Marc had spent enough time in Wili's company to know that meant, "I wish you were dead, Marc." He felt his defenses rise. "It's _your _fault," he muttered. But he wasn't quiet enough.

"What did you say?"

Every eye was on him. "Adriana canceled because she was terrified to work with you."

"That's ridiculous," Wili sputtered. "She was fine when we approached her several months ago."

"Daniel was still working here at the time," Marc reminded her, slightly pleased with the green hue that was spreading across her features.

She understood the implications behind the remark. Daniel was good at putting people at ease. She wasn't. Daniel didn't have the reputation of being a grade-A jerk. She did. Daniel had never botched a photo shoot just by being himself. Well, she wasn't going to take the blame for this mistake.

Her eyes flashed angrily at her creative director. "So what are you planning to do?"

Marc cowered in his chair, afraid her verbal onslaught might physically hurt him. He thought quickly, knowing every second could cost him his job. "I've got an idea," he said hoarsely. "But you're not going to like it."

Hilda burrowed under the blankets, attempting to block out the late morning light. She didn't know if she ever wanted to get up again. She rubbed the spot on her stomach which she was sure in a few months' time would be bulging with her baby. _Their baby._ She fought back a sob.

Only several months into their marriage and it was already falling apart. Bobby didn't want this baby, despite the fact that earlier this year he had been willing to be the father to her child. Before she miscarried, that is. She shoved that thought aside. She didn't want to dwell on the child that she lost.

She hadn't said two words to Bobby that morning. As he had prepared to go to work, she had pretended to be asleep. Then when Justin had come to check on her before going out to shop with Austin, she had feigned a headache. Justin had almost canceled his date to stay with her, but she had insisted she was fine. And after leaving a cup of tea on her nightstand, he had left as well.

She looked at the now cold cup of tea and felt a twinge of remorse over her emotional behavior. She couldn't wallow in self-pity forever. Justin needed her—so did her new child. With a fierce look of determination, she flung off the covers and rose to face the day. She would confront Bobby tonight and find out exactly what was bothering him, regardless of the consequences.

Justin was enjoying the afternoon shopping for school supplies with Austin. The term started that Monday, and due to his family's move to the new apartment and his mom's pregnancy, he was seriously behind in getting his school materials.

Justin paused at a rack of sweaters. "These are a-mahzing!" he exclaimed.

Austin nodded eagerly. "We should each get one—in different colors, of course," he added upon seeing Justin's dubious expression.

Justin clasped Austin's hands and started to swing them in a carefree manner. "We could each wear them on the first day of school. Of course, I'll be at the school of performing arts, while you'll be…" His voice trailed off when he saw Austin's pained look. He followed his gaze to an elderly couple who were frowning at them disapprovingly. Austin wrenched his hands from Justin's grasp and began rummaging through the clothes rack.

Justin prided himself on being an easy-going guy, but Austin's behavior had exceeded his patience. Balancing his multiple shopping bags in one hand, he yanked Austin off to a quiet corner of the store. "Look, I know not everybody is cool with gays, but I would have thought you wouldn't let the opinions of others get to you."

Austin blinked. "Ooookay?"

"Don't play dumb," Justin snapped. "I know your parent disapprove of our relationship, but you can't let that affect you."

Austin shook his head in disbelief. "My parents don't care. Sure, my mom's a little disappointed, because she's always wanted a girl, and now she knows I'm not going to be bringing any girls home for her to pamper…"

Justin's brows scrunched together in confusion. "So, if that's not the problem, why have you been brushing me off lately?"

Austin's face clouded over. "Let me paint you a picture. Boy meets guy. Boys get together. One Boy decides to apply to drama school without consulting the other guy. Boyfriend gets in, and boy is left alone at craphole high school."

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize." Justin dropped his bags and tried to give Austin a hug, but he backed away.

"That's just it: You didn't even consider that I might want to go to your stupid drama school. I mean, we met doing theatre, for Pete's sake!"

"I'm sooooo sorry," Justin reiterated.

"First you move uptown, and then you get accepted into this exclusive school." Austin shook his head. "It's almost like fate is trying to tell us something."

Justin felt his throat constrict. "Like what?"

"Like maybe we should spend some time apart." And with that, Austin walked away without looking back.

Over in Merry Olde England, Betty was getting ready to leave work for the day. She hadn't seen Daniel since their conversation earlier. Betty wondered how much longer Daniel could avoid her, not that she blamed him for ignoring her. She had pushed him away one two many times, and he was fed up with her. The irony was she had been resisting him for so long to prevent something like this from happening, to stop him from treating her coldly when their relationship inevitably unraveled. Now it was over,before it began. She was an idiot.

Determined to repair the damage or at least to try, she trudged to Daniel's office. Contrition painted her pretty features. She cleared her throat emphatically.

He didn't look up from his computer, which was a bad sign. It meant he was still angry at her and couldn't look her in the eyes. "Can we talk?" she ventured.

Daniel managed to pry his bright blue eyes from his monitor. "What's there to talk about?" His voice was low and gravelly, wrought with emotion.

Betty self-consciously played with her hair. "I think I went about this relationship the wrong way."

A look of surprise crossed his face, but he recovered quickly. "You did?"

Her knees knocked together and her heart thundered like a herd of stampeding elephants. She took a deep, controlling breath. "You mean so much to me that the thought of losing you terrifies me."

Daniel stood up abruptly, the thought of losing Betty shocking him into action. "That's ridiculous. You won't lose me. I _love _you, Betty. I'm not going anywhere, unless you tell me to."

She crept farther into his office, her hands folded neatly in front of her in an attempt to mask her trembling. "That's just it. I _could_ tell you to go." Daniel was utterly flummoxed, so she explained, "I have this fear that we will break up, and then we won't be friends anymore." She choked on the sentence. "If we cross this line into coupledom, Daniel, we can't go back. No matter what happens, our relationship will be forever changed."

Daniel crossed the room, filling the gap between them with one fluid motion. He grasped her arms firmly and stared directly into her troubled eyes. "No, we can't go back," he agreed. "But I don't fear the future. As long as I'm with you, we'll be okay."

"But what if I can't love you the way you love me?" Betty voiced her unspoken fear. "I wouldn't blame you for leaving me then. It would be too painful to be around someone who doesn't reciprocate your feelings."

"We are first and foremost friends, Betty. If we find this….thing between us doesn't work, I'll still be there for you—as a friend." She gazed doubtfully at him. "You gotta believe me!"

The earnestness in his face, the fervent tone in his voice, and the pleading in his eyes all rendered her incapable of coherent thought. Her heart pulsed with a new excitement and energy, a throbbing that both hurt and made her eager for more. She had never realized just how handsome he was when he was worked up about something. It was so endearing, so…sexy. Her cheeks blushed brightly.

"Well, then," she began as she wrapped her arms around him. Daniel blinked rapidly as he adjusted to this turn of events. "We need to go on that first date as soon as possible."

Daniel felt a grin pulling at his mouth, but he tried to control himself. "What about your nose? Are you well enough—"

She gently interrupted him. "I think I'll manage." Like earlier in the day, Daniel bent forward to kiss her. Only this time he didn't brush her nose by mistake. This time their lips made contact, and Betty's racing heart intensified.

After what felt like both an eternity and a short moment, they broke apart, each smiling wildly. "You know," Betty said coyly, "You kiss pretty well—for a friend."

He laughed. "Right back at you." Then he swept her up into another kiss.

Back in New York, Marc burst into his apartment, a colorful whirling dervish. "Mandy!" he shouted, "I have great news for you!" A lump of blankets on the couch moved in response. "Oh my God. Have you been sleeping all day?" The bump mumbled in reply.

"Get up, woman." He tossed the blankets off his friend and wrinkled his nose in disgust. "And take a shower."

"Marc," Amanda wailed, flinging her arms around him. "I never thought I'd say this, but I'm such a _loser_." She sniffled into his velveteen coat.

"Not any more." Marc pried her arms off of him, and he held her shoulders to steady her. "_You_ are going to be the designer for _Mode's _'New Talent in New York' article."

Amanda's mascara-streaked face gazed at him in surprise and wonder. "_Shut up_."

"Your BFF," he pointed proudly at himself, "convinced Wilhelmina Slater to give you a chance." He then glowered in his most menacing way. "So don't mess this up, or we'll _both_ be losers."

"Oh, Marc, I love you!" Amanda flung her arms around him once more and planted a passionate kiss on his lips. Humming off-key, she started gathering up the materials she had scattered about the room. "I've got the most fab ideas." She prattled on happily, not noticing Marc making a sour face and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

When Justin arrived home, Hilda's mood went from bad to worse. "Austin needs space," Justin explained, then laughed sardonically. "Like we both don't know what _that_ means."

Hilda hugged him and offered as much maternal advice as she could muster, but how could she heal her son's pain when she couldn't even cure her own? She knew her talk with her husband tonight was the only way to fix the issues. By the time Bobby got home, she had resigned herself to be as calm and rational as possible. It would only make matters worse if she lost her temper in her typical fashion.

She took the chance that Justin would be holed up in his bedroom all evening listening to the cast recording of _Spring Awakening _and confronted Bobby as soon as he stepped through the front door. "We need to talk," she said simply.

Bobby did not disagree. He sat himself on the sofa and waited somberly for her to continue.

Hilda took a deep breath and plunged in. "I love you. And I am deeply committed to making this marriage work."

"I am too, Babe," Bobby began, but she silenced him with a sharp look.

"But we need to be honest with each other if this marriage is going to last. So I need you to tell me, why don't you want this baby?" She broke down and continued through her tears, "Because I _do _want this child, but I don't want this child to come into this world knowing that you aren't 100% supportive."

Shock spread across her husband's rugged features. "You think I don't want this baby?"

Hilda was taken aback. "Well, you've been avoiding the subject, and the other day you got angry at the renovations we made…I'm not stupid. What else could it be?

"What else? Hilda, maybe you've forgotten about our other child—the one we lost—the one you miscarried—but I haven't!"

She was stunned into silence. All the pain and devastation of losing that unborn child came crashing down on her. The tears began to flow more quickly. "I thought I was alone. Nobody else seemed to remember…"

"We all remember," he said gently. "It's just too hard to talk about. But damn it, Hilda, when you told me you were pregnant again, I was terrified. What if we lose this child, too?" He wrapped her in a tight hug. "I couldn't bear it."

Hilda nuzzled against his chest. "Honey, I'm scared, too. But I can't let the fear control me. This baby needs me—and you. We got to stay strong for him or her, okay?"

He sighed. "I know. It just seemed easier to ignore the issue than deal with the fear and pain." He smiled sheepishly. "Pretty lame, huh?"

Hilda kissed him lightly. "Yeah, pretty lame."

"It's time I faced the facts, and the fact is you're pregnant."

"I promise you that I'm going to do everything in my power to keep this baby safe." She spread her hands lovingly over her stomach.

"But no matter what happens, I'll still love you."

Hilda's mouth turned up into a watery smile. "Yeah? Is that right?"

"You betcha, Mrs. Talercio." The two embraced. They didn't know what the future held, but they could face anything as long as they had each other.

The next day, the fashion shoot went off without a hitch. Amanda's designs (after minor alterations by Marc) were more than presentable for the stylish magazine. Wilhelmina kept her lips pursed and said absolutely nothing during the entire shoot. While not outright approval, her actions led Marc to believe that perhaps his earlier _faux pas_ had been forgiven. The best news was that Amanda's work was finally getting the promotion it needed, and more importantly, Marc still had a job as creative director.

The shoot was wrapping up when Wilhelmina finally spoke. "Congratulations, Marc. Looks like you can still be useful, after all."

At the sound of her demeaning words, Marc felt the euphoric glow of the afternoon fizzle. "You know, Wili, it wouldn't kill you to be nice. You think any of us like working under a cold-hearted bi—" He stopped abruptly. "Never mind. You wouldn't understand." He went off to find his best friend, leaving a stunned Wilhelmina Slater behind.

Despite Wili's criticism, Marc was still in a mood to celebrate, so he and Amanda went out for drinks. The two might have gotten just a tad too tipsy: they ended up blundering home around 3am singing Lady Gaga's songs at the top of their lungs, much to the neighbors' annoyance.

"Ya know, somethin', Marc?" Amanda slurred. "You're a really nice guy." She tried to pat him on the shoulder, but she ended up overextending her reach and nearly toppled to the floor. Marc caught her at the last moment.

"Love you," she murmured into his ear and then promptly passed out.

"Me, too, Mandy." Marc grunted and groaned as he hefted her unconscious body unto the sofa. He vaguely wondered why Wili couldn't be as loving. Not that he wanted her to be demonstrative, by any means. He just wanted a little more kindness and appreciation.

Strangely enough, when he arrived at his office the next morning, Wili was in a good mood, having seemingly forgotten that her creative director called her the "b" word yesterday. He surmised that she had spent an adventurous evening with Connor and thought nothing more of it until the staff meeting that afternoon.

They were recapping yesterday's fashion shoot when Wilhelmina cleared her throat and glanced nervously around the room. Marc had never seen her lack composure before. The apocalypse was surely coming. "Before we move on," Wili began tentatively, "I'd just like to thank Marc St. James for his quick thinking in securing a stylist for yesterday's photo shoot. I know that I was responsible for us losing Adriana Turnebleau, but Marc did not let that deter him. He pulled through for us, despite my…lack of encouragement."

Flushed beet red, she turned to gaze directly at Marc. "So thank you, Marc." She started to applaud. Shocked, her subordinates looked around each other, not sure what to do about Wilhelmina's _nice _behavior. A swift glare from Wili prompted them all to clap along with her. Marc sat beaming in his chair.

After the meeting, he approached her privately. "Thanks, Wili. I didn't know—I didn't think it was possible—"

She raised her hand to silence him. "Please, Marc, let's not make a big deal about this. As the Editor-in-chief I need to be more supportive of my employees. I thought it would be best to practice on you first."

"So does this mean you're going to let up on all the fashion policies you instituted?"

Wili flashed him a withering look. "Please, Marc, I'm turning nice, not blind."

Marc's boyish face relaxed. "Thank God!" Before she could protest, he wrapped her in a bear hug. With a grimace that could almost be mistaken for a smile, she hugged him back.

Back in London, Betty Suarez watched the digits on the clock on her computer slowly change from 4:59 to 5:00pm. With a happy squeal (which this time went unnoticed by her coworkers), she shut her computer down and skipped out of her office.

In another corner of London, Daniel bounded down the steps of the Elephant and Castle Station, whistling a happy tune. Everything was right with the world. His classes were done for the week, and Betty and he were finally going on their first official date! This time, nothing was going to get in the way of their happiness. Not relatives, nor work, nor Betty's own fear and hesitancy.

They met outside a posh restaurant on the Thames. Betty was dazzling in a little black dress, which she had accessorized with a neon blue sparkly belt and matching shoes. Daniel was oozing sophistication in his stylish pinstripe suit.

Daniel proffered his arm, and she readily accepted it. "Ready?" he asked.

"Ready," Betty replied, and together they stepped into the restaurant and into the beginning of their new relationship.


	7. S05E06: Great Expectations

Great Expectations

"Guess what?" A big grin on her face, Betty bounded into Daniel's office and sat on one of his plush chairs.

Daniel looked up from his work in amusement. His girlfriend's bubbly mood never ceased to amaze him. "What?"

"Gio's invited me to his wedding!" She waved the embossed invitation around excitedly. "He didn't know where I lived, so he sent it to the office instead. Wasn't that nice of him?"

"When is it?"

She frowned at the date on the card. "In less than two weeks. That doesn't leave me a lot of time to get a wedding present."

"Don't forget you need to book a flight and a hotel room as well," Daniel reminded her. Seeing her dismayed expression, he added, "Don't worry. I'll work out the travel arrangements."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm Daniel Meade. I still hold some weight with the travel industry."

She leaned across the desk and placed a light kiss on his lips. "Thanks, Daniel." She headed to the door then swiveled around at the last second. "By the way, you're my plus one for the event."

It was his turn to grin. "I sort of figured that." Once Betty breezed out of his office, his thoughts turned serious. This was their first trip abroad together. They'd only been officially dating for several weeks, and he wasn't sure if they had reached the point in their relationship where they shared a room together.

He loved Betty more than anything in the world, but their relationship was delicate. If she thought he was pushing too hard, he could blow his chance with her forever. Resigned, he went online to look for two plane tickets and two hotel rooms.

Betty had similar concerns about their travel arrangements, which she expressed to Christina via instant messaging.

_Going with Daniel 2 Italy_, she typed.

_What 4?_ was her friend's reply.

_Gio's wedding_.

_U 2 sharing a room? ;)_

_I dunno. Not sure I want 2_.

_Y not?_

Betty paused to consider her answer. _I'm not ready_, she finally typed.

Y _the hell not? This is Daniel Meade, playboy extraordinaire! He's gotta be worth it_.

_He's my BFF turned BF_, Betty wrote in protestation. _Gimme some slack._

_Well, I'd hit that in a minute, _Christina retorted.

_Christina! O.O_

_Sorry, Luv, but it's the truth._

Betty wondered if everybody but her wanted to "hit that." Her relationship with Daniel was unlike any she'd had before. He'd been her best friend first, so they knew each other inside and out, but this fact had become a double-edged sword. As her best friend, Daniel loved her for who she was, but since he was her friend, the chemistry wasn't as natural between them as it had been in their other relationships. Unlike their previous relationships where the chemistry had been strong and electric to begin with, theirs was a gradual process that she hoped would pay off in the long run. It was a spark that was slowly growing into a smoldering flame of intensity.

That evening, she and Daniel had a quick dinner together at her flat. Daniel had to get up early for a class the next morning, so he didn't stay over for long. "I should be getting my first paper back tomorrow," he told her excitedly.

"I hope you get a good grade."

"No worries. This is probably the best paper I've ever written."

Betty smiled placatingly. "I'm sure it is."

Daniel grazed her forehead with a kiss and said goodnight, confident in his work and in his relationship with Betty. All was right with the world.

He wasn't feeling quite as optimistic when he crawled out of bed at 5:30 the next morning. But after his second cup of tea - freshly brewed, not the instant kind the British seemed to be obsessed with - he was feeling considerably better. He made his way to the London College of Communication with a skip in his step and a happy expression on his face.

He entered the classroom whistling a merry tune. When he saw the frowning visage of his professor, he faltered for a moment, but, taking a deep breath of composure, he bade her good morning and sat down. Professor Davies glared at him over her spectacles. "It might be a good morning for some, Mr. Meade."

Daniel made sure her back was turned before he rolled his eyes. Over the next couple of minutes the rest of the class streamed in, all looking half-awake and grumpy. Daniel greeted several of his classmates and attempted to get them to cheer up, but everyone seemed determined to be miserable. Daniel finally gave up. If they didn't want to share in the joy he felt, that was their prerogative.

Professor Davies cleared her throat. "I was up all night grading your papers, not that any of you care…I have to say I am very disappointed in the lot of you. Only six of you managed to get 90% or more. The rest of you were middling to downright horrid."

Everybody groaned at this news. Daniel was slightly worried, but he figured he must be in the high percentile. His paper was beyond reproach. It was clean, concise and, in his humble opinion, clever. Even Betty had looked it over and given it her approval.

As Professor Davies handed him his paper, he thanked her. Her eyebrow rose in appraisal. "Don't thank me just yet."

Daniel flipped it over and stared at his mark. 72%. Daniel had seen enough similar grades during his Harvard days to know this was the equivalent of a _B_ or _B-. _Barely passing. His stomach lurched, and he quickly raised his hand. "Excuse me, Professor?"

Davies fixed her beetle black eyes on him. "What is it, Meade?" she asked in obvious annoyance.

Daniel lowered his hand and swallowed. His paper lay crumpled in his other fist. "Never mind."

He spent the rest of the class period stewing and consequently didn't hear a word of the professor's lecture. He arrived back at work in a foul mood, so Betty decided to leave him alone for the time being and didn't invite him to lunch.

Instead she took his absence as opportunity to go shopping for Gio's wedding gift. "So, Hilda, what's a more appropriate gift for me and Daniel to give them?" She cradled her mobile between her neck and shoulder as she examined a stainless steel pot. "A ginormous stew pot or a fancy rack of spices?"

There was a considerable pause. "Are those the only choices?"

"I got the invitation late! Everything else was taken."

"I dunno, Betty. They both kinda suck."

Betty sighed and shoved the pot back onto its shelf. "I know. I was thinking maybe I should get them something not on the list, but isn't that a little presumptuous of me? Like I know Gio so well that I can get him an intimate gift! What if his bride takes it the wrong way? I don't want to ruin their marriage before it begins."

"You can't single-handedly wreck their marriage. You're not that special, Betty."

Betty moved her phone from its uncomfortable position. "I guess you're right." She sighed once again, this time melodramatically. "Weddings are a lot of work."

"Yeah, but they're worth it." Hilda's voice took on a happy, dulcet tone. "Just you wait till it's your turn. You'll see what I mean."

"If you say so." Betty absently played with an electric mixer sitting on display.

"Who knows? Maybe it will be you and Daniel walking down the aisle next."

Betty stiffened. "Hilda, we've only been dating for three weeks," she unnecessarily informed her sister. "Don't jump the gun."

"Yeah, but you've been in love with each other for three _years. _You both were just too stupid to see it."

"That's so…I can't even…" Betty sputtered.

Hilda was silent on the other end for a moment, and then she spoke in a hushed whisper. "Justin's awake. I gotta go."

"How's he been doing with his new school?"

"Okay, I think. It's the breakup with Austin that has him in a really crappy mood lately."

"Well, send him my love." Betty gave her goodbyes and hung up. Then she wandered over to a store clerk and asked him, "Excuse me, where are the spice racks?"

As Betty made a half-hearted purchase, her sister made a whole-hearted attempt to get Justin to smile. "Hey, how's my aspiring actor?" She smothered his face in kisses.

"Mom, you'll get lipstick on me!" Justin jerked out of her grasp and swiped at his cheeks.

Hilda refrained from saying something about his bad mood. Instead she asked him, "Do you have any after-school activities today?"

"Yeah, there's auditions today, remember?"

"That's right. I'm sure you'll do great. What role are you hoping to get?"

Justin shrugged noncommittally. "Anything that has more than two lines."

Hilda pursed her lips. It wasn't like him to be so unenthusiastic about theatre, but she didn't know what she could do to fix it. She handed her son his backpack. "Wow, this weighs a ton." Justin didn't respond but merely headed toward the front door. "Don't you want any breakfast?"

"I'm not hungry."

Hilda felt completely inept at handling the moody teenager in front of her. "Well…break a leg, kiddo," she finally said.

Justin managed a half-smile before he left. At least that was progress. Hilda instinctively rubbed her belly where her baby was comfortably growing. Hopefully her next child wouldn't be so temperamental.

Justin felt guilty for acting so distantly with his mother, but he really had no alternative. If he didn't keep up his apathetic ruse, he was going to fall to pieces. He missed Austin, and he cursed the day he ever applied to his new school. If he had hadn't been so intent on furthering his acting career at the expense of Austin's feelings he never would have lost him.

Justin's one consolation was that he was certain to get a juicy part in the school's production of _Carousel_, a clichéd choice to be sure, but it had a pretty even number of girl and boy parts. He spent most of his class time that day sneaking glances at his copy of the script, going over the lines and songs in his head. By the time auditions rolled around, he had narrowed his choice of roles down to Mr. Snow (for the laughs) or Billy Bigelow (the lead).

As far as he was concerned, auditions went smoothly. He got a big round of applause for his rendition of "If I Loved You" and quite a few chuckles when he read for Mr. Snow. True, there were several actors who _looked _the parts more than he did, but he was certain a school of this caliber wouldn't be so superficial as to cast worst actors just because they looked the part. Feeling confident, he made his way home. It was only when he got on the subway and heard someone calling out, "Hey, Austin!" that his joy subsided.

Storming into his mom and Bobby's upscale apartment, he hoped to make a quick exit to his room, but Hilda intercepted him. "Did you eat dinner?" she asked in her full out, "I'm the mother, listen to me, bitch," persona.

"I'm _not _hungry." He was beginning to sound like his old broken vinyl of _Cats. _

"Not even for my _enchiladas_?" came a warm, familiar voice from the kitchen.

"Grandpa?" Justin rushed into his grandfather's open arms. "What are you doing here?"

"He says he has some exciting news to tell us," Hilda answered for him.

An arm still draped around his grandson's shoulder, Ignacio led Justin into the kitchen/dining area. "…Which we will talk about over a hot meal."

Bobby was already seated at the table. "It smells so good."

"Patience, Son. It sill has a few moments to go." Papi gave Justin's shoulder a final squeeze before turning back to the stove.

"So how was the audition?" Hilda asked eagerly, taking advantage of her son's momentarily raised spirits.

"Good." Justin was about to clam up, but seeing his mom's disappointed face, he elaborated. "It was great, actually. I think I nailed it. The callback sheet will be posted tomorrow afternoon during lunch. I'll let you know more about it then."

Satisfied, Hilda patted his hand then sat down next to Bobby.

Soon the extended Suarez family was in the middle of eating a veritable feast. While everybody else was contentedly chewing on their enchiladas, Papi cleared his throat and tapped his water glass with his knife. "As Hilda so politely blabbed about earlier, I have something important to discuss with my _familia._" Everyone stared at him expectantly. "As you know, Elena is coming up next week for a visit. And when she's here, I plan to ask her to marry me."

Hilda clasped her hands together. "I _knew _it."

"That's great, Ignacio." Bobby slapped him lightly on the back.

Justin blinked rapidly, trying to digest the news. "So, are you going to move, or is she going to come back to live in New York?"

There was a moment of discomfiting silence. "I haven't worked out the details yet," Papi finally admitted, "but I love this woman, and seeing her only several times a year is not going to work for me anymore."

"I agree, Papi." Hilda enthusiastically shoveled a large bite of food into her mouth. "You go and get her," she added around the partially-masticated enchilada.

"Gross, Hilda." Bobby rolled his eyes in disgust.

"But don't you think you should work the details out?" Justin persisted. "This is a life-changing decision. You could be _leaving us _for some woman, and all you're doing is celebrating."

"'Some woman'? Justin, apologize to your grandpa at once," Hilda admonished him, but Ignacio gently cut in.

"It's all right, Hilda." Papi turned his attention to his grandson. "I know this news is difficult to accept. But just know that although I love Elena very deeply, that doesn't mean I love my family any less."

Justin pushed back his plate of food and scowled. "Whatever. First Aunt Betty leaves, and now you. I should be used to this by now." He jumped up from the table and stalked off to his room.

"Justin, come back here!" Hilda bellowed.

"It's all right, _Mi'ja. _Give him time to adjust." Papi shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but his wizened eyes were laced with worry. How could he go through with this marriage if one of the most important people in his life was unhappy about it?

In another part of New York, a family bonding of an entirely different nature was taking place at Amanda and Marc's apartment. She and Spencer were enjoying some quality time together, giving each other manicures and pedicures.

"The sparkles really make my digits dazzle." Spencer gazed at his drying toenails appreciatively.

Amanda applied the last finishing touches to her own French manicures. "I know, right? Sparkles are not just for vampires."

"I should hope not." Spencer let out an involuntary shudder.

Whistling a happy tune, Marc waltzed into the flat, his velvet jacket draped across his shoulders in a completely casual manner. "Good evening, one and all."

Amanda eyed his purple coat enviously. "Wow, you're all spiffed up. Where have you been?"

Marc swung the coat over the edge of the sofa then plopped down into an adjacent chair. "I was on a date with Trevor."

"Don't you mean Troy?" Spencer asked without looking up from his nails.

Marc was slightly unnerved that Amanda's father remembered his boy toy's name better than he did. "Whatever." He leaned forward, his palms flat against his knees. "You'll never guess what happened, Mandy."

"You actually remembered to call him by his real name?" guessed Spencer.

Marc glared. "No, and who asked for your opinion, Papa Cannon?"

"Let me guess! You realized that jacket was doing you no favors and decided to give it to me?" Amanda snatched at the velvet item but couldn't reach it without getting up and smearing her wet toenails.

"Umm… no, and _hurtful._" Marc removed a curly lock of hair from his face. "And I think I look damned good in it." Spencer opened his mouth to make another guess, but Marc cut him off. "You guys do realize that was a rhetorical question?"

"Ooooooh!" Spencer and Amanda exclaimed in unison.

Hoping stupidity wasn't contagious, Marc took a deep breath and continued, "Tony asked me to move in with him, and I said yes!"

Amanda and her father stared at him blankly for a moment then burst into laughter. "You moving in with Troy? That's a good one!" Amanda guffawed.

Spencer laid a hand trembling with mirth on Marc's arm. "So what really happened this evening?"

There were no adequate words to describe Marc's flummoxed state. "Umm, that's what _really_ happened."

"Oh." Spencer's face flushed crimson at his _faux pas_. "Well, that's just great, Marc. I'm sure you and Troy will be happy."

Amanda had stopped laughing. "Are you insane?"

Marc eyed her warily. "I don't think so."

"You can't move in with Trevor—Tom—whatshisname. You can't have a serious relationship with anybody! You're just like me: a heartless, selfish bitch. It's not programmed in our DNA to be happy with anybody."

"You're happy with Tyler," Marc countered, feeling himself rankle at her insinuations.

"You don't see us living together, do you?" she snapped back.

"I think I'll visit the little boy's room." Spencer stood on his heels to avoid smudging his toenails and waddled to the restroom, managing to shut the door with his elbow, as his fingernails were still drying.

Marc narrowed his perfectly waxed eyebrows. "What's going on here, Amanda?"

"Nothing! I'm just trying to be a good friend."

"By making fun of Troy's and my plan…?"

"Since it's a stupid plan, yeah!" Amanda rose to her feet, her statuesque form backlit by the sparkling night skyline of New York City. "Have you given any thought to what this is going to do to your and Trey's relationship? You're going to be fully dependent on each other. You're going to have to eat the same fattening foods, and sleep on the same low-thread sheets, and see each other _every day. _There will be no escape from him."

Marc recoiled at the image of Troy clinging to him like a life vest. "Way to dampen the mood, Mandy."

"I'm just speaking the truth."

"Well, stop it!" he barked. Then his tone softened. "Why can't you just be happy for me?"

Amanda's eyes filled with tears. "If you have to ask me, you can't really be my friend." She likewise walked on her heels to her bedroom where she grabbed hold of the door and slammed it shut like a true drama queen. "Damn," came her muffled cry. "I just smeared my nail polish!"

Spencer peeked out of the bathroom and locked eyes with Marc. "What the hell's wrong with her?" Marc demanded. Spencer merely shrugged and shook his head.

A week uneventfully passed in the lives of the Suarezes, Daniel, Amanda and Marc. The adults went to work every day, either from their homes or offices, and Justin continued to attend school, where he went to callbacks and nailed the part of Billy Bigelow. Marc went ahead with his plans of moving in with Troy, despite Amanda's icy treatment of him, and Ignacio picked out a ring for Elena, despite his niggling doubt that he was abandoning his family.

And Daniel's class with Professor Davies continued to be Hell on Earth. After a particularly nasty session where the teacher accused him of being the world's best example of a failed editor due to _Meade's Publications _sagging sales, Daniel finally told Betty what was going on.

Betty was sympathetic when she heard about the teacher's unfair treatment and the low marks on his paper. "You should talk to Professor Davies and get this sorted out."

"Are you kidding me? I can't talk to her. She just looks at me, and I freeze with fear."

"She's a regular Gorgon, huh?" Betty joked.

Daniel wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he nodded miserably in agreement. "I'm going to fail this class," he moaned and buried his head in his hands.

She placed a consoling hand on his shoulders. "You can't flunk a class with one _B _grade."

Daniel peeked between his fingers. "You know this won't be the only lousy mark I get from that ogre."

"Don't be such a defeatist. You think I gave up looking for a good wedding gift for Gio just because there were only two items left on the registry?"

Daniel groaned again. "You're getting obsessed with this wedding, Betty. I'm just planning to write the happy couple a check and—"

"But that's so _impersonal_!"

He scowled. "Gio's not my friend, remember?"

"But you _like_ him," Betty countered. "We have to give him and his bride something special."

"I think you're putting the emphasis on the wrong things. A wedding isn't about gifts and money. It's about celebrating the love between two people." Daniel's face folded into a genuine smile. _Like the love we have, _he thought. Suddenly he envisioned Betty in a flowing, satin gown with a delicate veil streaming down her long, dark hair and a bouquet of pink peonies gathered in her gloved hands. He smiled demurely at the picture. She was going to be a beautiful bride. How he hoped he was the groom!

Betty waved her hand dismissively. "Maybe that's what weddings used to be about, but now it's all about the spectacle and the pageantry and the very expensive registry. You remember Hilda's big to-do." She rolled her eyes. "Thank God I don't have any other weddings in my immediate future to worry about, right?"

Daniel felt his defenses rise. "Well, not the _immediate _future, but perhaps down the line-"

"I don't know anyone else getting married." Betty scrunched her glasses up her nose in contemplation and then clapped her hands excitedly as an idea came upon her. "Has Alexis found someone?"

He sighed. "No, Betty, I wasn't talking about my sister." She looked at him expectantly for further elaboration. "Never mind. Nobody else is getting married anytime soon." _Betty will be ready for marriage in time. Just wait, _he told himself. _But for how long? _Another voice responded.

Ignacio placed a vase of fake roses on the dining room table and stepped back to admire the finished centerpiece. He frowned, straightened the cutlery so it was perfectly aligned with the pattern in the lace table cloth, and then nodded in satisfaction. Elena couldn't possibly find fault with the arrangement.

The timer on his oven went off, and Papi rushed to remove his roast duck with russet potatoes. It was a little decadent for lunch, but he had to work that evening and wasn't waiting another day to propose to Elena. As he set the tray out to cool, the doorbell rang. "Coming," he called, removing his apron.

He dashed to the front door and admitted his gorgeous girlfriend. "You are so beautiful," he told her with evident pride.

Elena blushed in reply and let him take her coat. "Something smells wonderful, Ignacio."

"I made it all for you." He led her to the table where she murmured appreciatively at the arrangement.

"You spoil me." She gave him a quick peck on his weathered cheek.

"Just wait till you see the meal." Ignacio presented the duck and the side dishes with a flair that would put the head chef at the fanciest restaurant in New York to shame; Elena "ooohed" and "aaahed" at the appropriate moments. The two enjoyed a peaceful meal together, catching up on each others' lives. Ignacio hadn't realized how fiercely he missed her until he heard her talking about her life away from him. Would she be willing to share a life _with _him?

While they were eating dessert, Ignacio pushed his coffee and cake aside and nervously cleared his throat. She peered questioningly at him over her coffee cup. "Elena, there's something I need to ask you." Taking a deep breath, he pulled out a ring box from his coat pocket, and she gasped in surprise. "Elena, I love you more than anything in this world, and I hate being parted from you for even a minute." His eyes glistened as brightly as the ring he held out to her. "Will you marry me?"

Justin's heart pounded as he headed to the bulletin board outside the theater. The cast list had been posted during lunch, and he was anxious to see what role he got. There was a sizeable crowd milling around the call sheet, but he managed to elbow his way to the front of the group. Involuntarily holding his breath, he scanned the names on the list for his own. He scrutinized it a second time. Finally he spotted it. There, at the bottom of the list was written, "Justin Suarez—Fisherman #2." He had a bit role with probably zero lines. Heart sinking, Justin turned away and marched like a zombie to his next class. He lost Austin for _this?_

The rest of the day dragged for him, and Justin wanted nothing more than to go home and hide in bed. But he had to go to the theatre director's office after school to pick up his script, and then he had to listen to the director's excuses as to why she had cast him in a bit part and had given the lead roles to less talented individuals. He finally managed to pull himself away and start the commute home.

By the time he got to the apartment, it was almost five. He tried to sneak off to his bedroom, but Hilda was quicker. "Justin, come to the kitchen for a sec." She dragged her unwilling son into the aforementioned room.

Justin stopped short when he saw his grandfather standing with his arm around Elena. He spotted the ring on her left hand and almost lost it. "Oh great! The perfect ending to this crappy day," he whined.

Ignacio waved Justin over to them. "It's not what you think. I did ask Elena to marry me, and she said yes, but on one condition…"

"That I get to move back to New York to live here with my new family," Elena finished.

Justin's mouth flew open, but he quickly clamped it shut. "So you're not going away…?" He asked his grandpa, hardly believing the news.

Ignacio shook his head. "As much as I love Elena, I could never leave my _familia._" He enveloped his grandchild in a warm hug.

Elena likewise placed her arms around Justin. "And I don't have any family left. You guys are all I have."

"But what about your job?" Hilda wanted to know.

Elena shrugged. "What's a job compared to the bonds of family?"

Hilda grinned and joined the group hug. Despite his earlier disappointments, Justin couldn't help thinking this was a nice conclusion for the day. He now knew that no matter what life threw at him, he could always rely on his family.

Marc got back to Mandy's and his apartment around 6:00pm, exhausted and ready to slip into a nice warm bubble bath. He was a bit surprised to find that Amanda was not at home, but he assumed she was either out on business or with Tyler. He took a long, luxuriating bath, warmed up one of Amanda's healthy frozen dinners for himself, and settled down to watch a chick flick. It was only after the movie was done and he still hadn't heard from his flat mate that Marc began to wonder where she was.

He texted and called her, but she didn't respond. Slightly worried, Marc set up his laptop and started on some work as a distraction. When midnight rolled around and Mandy still hadn't phoned, Marc's panic elevated. He left her one more text asking her to let him know where she was and then crawled into bed. But sleep eluded him. He tossed and turned, wondering where Amanda was and whether she was safe. Finally, around two in the morning, he fell into a fitful slumber.

The first thing he did when he woke up (well, after getting groomed and dressed) was to check Amanda's bedroom, but she wasn't there. Sick to his stomach, Marc frantically called Troy's number. "Amanda didn't come home last night! What do I do? Should I call the police?"

As he listened intently to Troy's instructions, the apartment door swung open and Amanda waltzed in looking positively calm and refreshed. Marc hurriedly said his goodbyes and hung up his phone. "Where the hell have you been?"

"I was at Tyler's all night." She feigned a look of surprise. "Were you worried?"

"Worried?" Marc reiterated. "Of course I was! I thought something happened to you."

Amanda shrugged casually. "I don't see why my whereabouts are any concern of yours."

Marc felt the blood race to his face with rage. "What? You're my friend and my flat mate for Gucci's sake! Of course when you're missing I'm going to notice!"

She glanced at her fingernails, as if bored with the whole conversation. "You won't be my roommate for very much longer. Soon it won't matter how late I stay out." She glared defiantly at him. "So you might as well not put in all this effort pretending you care for me."

He recoiled as if he'd been slapped in the face. "I _do_ care_._ Just because I'm moving in with Trey—"

"No you don't." She fruitlessly tried to hold back the tears that had sprung to her eyes. "If you did, you'd realize that I don't want you to move."

Marc took a step toward her, but hesitated when she looked away. "Why don't you want me to move?"

"Well, for starters, I can't possibly afford this place on my own. That's why you became my flat mate to begin with. And second, you're my best friend, and I would miss you." Amanda threw her arms around him in a massive bear hug.

Marc felt like he finally understood where Amanda was coming from. "Oh, sweetie, I'll miss you, too. But if it's money you're worried about, I'll be glad to help you keep up with the rent."

Amanda yanked herself out of his grasp, her eyes narrowed to two thin lines of mascara and eye shadow. "Really? I pour my soul out to you, and you focus on the money? You just don't get me at all." And with that melodramatic remark, she stormed out of the apartment. A second later, she burst back in looking sheepish. "Would you mind making the dramatic exit this time? I've got a client coming over at ten."

Marc scowled. "With pleasure." He stalked out the door, slamming it with all the force his weak arms could muster.

Marc was useless at work. He paced his office floor, ranting and raving to a disinterested Wilhelmina. "She actually accused me of not caring for her! And when I tried to make it up to her, she had the nerve to get angry at me!"

"Marc, are you going to pay any attention to the plans I have for this month's issue, or do I have to solve your petty personal problems first?" Willi quirked a well-groomed eyebrow, appraising her creative director's harried state.

"I'm sorry, Willi. Did you say something?" Marc sunk into his swivel chair. "I just don't know what to do."

"Marc…."

"I was all excited to move in with Trey, and then Amanda goes nuts on me."

"_Marc_…"

"What's bothering her, anyways?"

"MARC!" Wilhelmina finally lost all her composure. "Oh, for God's sake, even I can tell what's going on here, and I'm a heartless bitch." In her five inch stiletto heels, she towered over his seated form. Marc involuntarily shrank back into his chair, but Willi didn't notice. "You are Amanda's nearest and dearest friend. You also have the dubious distinction of being the only man to stick by her side. Every other male - and I use the term liberally - has left her at some point or another: her boyfriends, her father, etc. The only one who's never abandoned her is _you, _and then you tell her you're going to shack up with your boy toy. The one guy she loves and trusts most in the world has let her down. Her tiny brain can't handle it, so she explodes in rage."

Marc stared at her, momentarily speechless. When he finally found his voice, it came out as a hoarse whisper. "Oh, Willi, you're so right."

"Of course I am." She peevishly patted her perfectly coiffed hair.

"I've got to fix this. Mandy needs me!" Marc rose and impulsively pulled Wilhelmina into a hug. "Thanks, Willi. You're the best."

She squirmed uncomfortably in his embrace. "No problem." As he headed toward the door, she checked him. "Marc, if you ever tell anyone that this conversation transpired, I will fire you faster than you can say 'Armani.' Got that?"

Marc gulped. "Si, Signora."

He hurried back to the apartment as quickly as he could. When he arrived, Amanda was just finishing up with her client. She surveyed him curiously but said nothing. Marc could tell from the red rims around her eyes that she'd been crying quite severely.

"Mandy, I've been a selfish idiot," he began.

"What's new?" she sniffed.

"I probably deserve that," Marc admitted. He grabbed her arm and gently led her over to the sofa. "Just listen to me for a sec. I'm crazy about Taylor -"

"Troy," Amanda automatically corrected him, her doleful expression masking her usually pretty features.

"-and I was over the moon that he asked me to move in with him. But I overlooked an important thing in all of this."

"What?" she croaked through tears.

"Your feelings. I didn't realize just how badly you'd miss me, and more importantly, I didn't realize how much _I _would miss _you. _We're a team, Mandy, but I was willing to throw that all away just to live with some guy that I can't even remember the name of."

"So now what do we do…?"

"For starters, I'm not going to move in with …." he struggled to remember the name, "…Troy."

"But Marc," gasped Amanda.

"I've made up my mind. You've been there for me long before Troy entered the picture, and you'll be there long after he leaves—I mean, _if_ he leaves." He threw his arm around her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "BFF's have to stick together, right?"

Amanda flashed him a glamorous smile. "That's right, my BFF."

Daniel gritted his teeth as he sat down for his last class of the week. In just a few hours he and Betty would be jet-setting to Italy for Gio's nuptials, but in the meantime he had to endure another hour and a half of Professor Davies. The students were all subdued. Daniel noticed that the longer the class went on, the more silent and sullen his classmates became. It seemed he wasn't the only one Professor Davies was affecting.

The professor marched briskly into the room and set her textbooks and ledger down with an ominous _whack. _She surveyed the motley crew in front of her, demanding, "Who can give me an example of yellow journalism?"

Nobody said a word. The pupils all feigned disinterest and stared at their desks or up at the ceiling. Daniel finally plucked up enough courage to raise his hand. Davies' condescending gaze rested on him for a brief second before she looked away in discomfort. "Anybody besides our resident playboy…?"

Daniel brought his raised hand down onto his desk as a balled fist of fury. "That's it! I'm tired of you bullying me."

His teacher stared at him, mouth agape at his sudden outburst. She collected her thoughts and asked mockingly, "I bully you, Mr. Meade?"

"You bully all of us," came a clipped male voice from the back of the room, "but Meade gets the brunt of it."

"Yeah, what's the big idea?" chimed a young woman to Daniel's left. "Daniel Meade is a wonderful writer and businessman, yet you're always mocking him."

Daniel didn't want mutiny on his hands. "Really, guys, this is unnecessary-"

But his classmates wouldn't hear it. "Meade was a great Editor-in-chief of _Mode_," insisted another girl.

"And he's been doing amazingly well in this class," his first defender added. "So lay off him, Teacher."

Daniel felt his ears burn with their praise, but he kept a calm eye on the professor, challenging her to refute them all. She remained uncharacteristically silent. A discomfiting quiet fell across the room, and Daniel was sure Davies was about to hand out failing marks to all the students.

After an interminable few minutes, Professor Davies spoke in a strangled tone. "Meade, can you tell us about yellow journalism?" Taking a deep breath, Daniel did as the teacher requested.

The rest of the class period went by without incident. As the students were filing out of the room, Professor Davies called out, "Mr. Meade, may I see you for a moment?"

Daniel and his peers exchanged worried glances, but he beckoned them on. "I'll be okay," he assured them, yet he approached his teacher with trepidation. "May I help you, Professor?"

She nervously adjusted her glasses, and for a brief, fleeting moment, Daniel thought of Betty. "I want to apologize for my abject behavior towards you. I admit that I haven't been treating you fairly, and I hope you'll forgive me."

Stunned, Daniel scrutinized her to make sure this wasn't another one of her cruel jokes. Seeing she was in earnest, he extended his hand for her to shake. "Apology accepted."

The professor did not take his proffered hand. "I also graded your paper unfairly, which is completely unacceptable for a teacher to do."

"Well, I won't tell anybody…if you promise to change the grade."

Professor Davies nodded curtly, obviously satisfied. "Very well. If you just get me a new copy of your paper, I'll be happy to give you the marks you deserve."

"I just don't understand why you were out to get me."

As she thought over her answer, Davies pursed her lips. "I guess I was jealous of the level of credit and acclaim you had received at such a young age. I've been in journalism for years, and yet I've never been published on a global scale. I've never had my image paraded about the newsstands. I - it was foolish."

"I didn't ask for my fame or fortune," he gently told her. "And I'm really trying to make a name for myself based on my own talents, not my family legacy. And to do that, I'm going to need my professors to help me as much as they can."

"Understood, Meade."

"Thanks, Professor." Daniel said a grateful prayer that this situation had been resolved. Then he hurried off to the Elephant and Castle station. He had a wedding to attend!

Betty was a bundle of nerves as she and Daniel flew to Italy for Gio's nuptials. She couldn't wait to see the marriage ceremony, but more importantly (to her), she couldn't wait to see the looks on the bride and groom's faces when they saw their wedding present. Over the last week she had found a perfect gift to go along with the spice rack, and she was positively jubilant about it. Daniel held her hand tenderly during the whole trip, which also added to her excitement.

There was a moment of awkwardness when the bellhop showed them to their two rooms - that moment of realization that they hadn't quite cemented their relationship in every sense of the word - but Daniel diffused the situation with a broad smile. "Which room do you want?"

They rested up a bit in their rooms for a bit, and then got dressed for the wedding. Betty wore a deep purple cocktail dress accented with black lace, and Daniel wore a matching purple dress shirt and Armani suit. "So they know we're together," he joked.

A congenial taxi driver, talking animatedly in broken English, took them to the villa where the ceremony was to be held. The villa overlooked an olive grove, the trees still lush and green in the early autumn air. Birds twittered and rustled past in the azure sky. It was an idyllic image.

"I would love to get married in a place like this," Betty whispered as they took their seats.

"You planning to get married soon?" Daniel asked coyly.

She giggled softly. "No, not for several years. I want to get my magazine off the ground first."

He nodded, trying to hide the disappointment in his features. "I hope I'll be there - at your wedding."

"You will be." She was sure he would be there as either a guest…or the groom. She blushed as an image of she and Daniel standing side by side across from a priest entered her head. Would she marry her best friend?

The first strains of the wedding march interrupted her daydream. Betty and Daniel watched in rapt wonderment as the ceremony commenced. When the bride and groom said their vows, Betty let out a happy sigh, and Daniel clasped her hand.

After the ceremony, Betty and Daniel went over to congratulate the bride and groom. When Gio spotted Betty, he grinned from ear to ear. "Suarez! So good to see you." He pulled her into a friendly hug then shook Daniel's hand. "Always a pleasure, Meade."

"Congratulations," Betty gushed, placing a kiss on the bride's glowing face. She made sure she had their full attention before she continued, "I want you to have this." She held out a photo album. "I thought your wife might want to see the place where you grew up, Gio." She flipped open the book to reveal photos of a young Gio in various parts of New York City.

"Where did you get these pictures?" Gio wanted to know.

"A journalist never reveals her sources," she teased. "Actually, I just asked your parents." She went ahead a few pages and pointed at the blank spots. "And your wife can put pictures of herself growing up in Italy here." She flipped a few more pages. "And these blank pages are for your life together now."

"That's really thoughtful," said Gio. He took the album then hugged Betty once again.

She and Daniel went to get a glass of punch while the happy bride and groom greeted the rest of the guests. After mingling with the other people for a while, they took their seats at the table for the meal. The reception went by quickly, Daniel and Betty both enjoying themselves immensely. At one point Gio asked Betty to dance, and though afraid it might be awkward, she accepted.

"So you're with Meade now, huh?" He asked once they were on the dance floor.

"Yeah." She was about to explain how it all came about when Gio interrupted her.

"It's about time. I knew he was the only one for you."

Betty gawked. "You did not. You said it was Henry!"

"What? Is that who you thought I meant?" Gio shook his head, clearly amused. "I was talking about Daniel. You two have been there for each other since the beginning, and I knew there was no guy in the world that would be able to compare to Daniel. He'll always come first in your life."

Betty glanced over to where Daniel was sitting, her heart unexpectedly fluttering. How could she have not seen it before? "You're right," she murmured.

The reception went late into the night, but Daniel was tired, so the pair left around eleven. Daniel escorted Betty to her hotel room where the two stared at each other uncomfortably for a moment. It seemed appropriate that they should kiss goodbye, yet neither made a move.

He finally cleared his throat. "Well, goodnight." As he turned to go to his own room, Betty grabbed hold of his arm.

"You could come in…if you want." She smiled shyly at him from the doorway.

Daniel felt his heart rate accelerate. "Are you sure?"

Betty pulled him into a passionate kiss in response. He reciprocated with the same fervor and gently ushered her into the hotel room, shutting the door firmly behind them.

Some things were worth the wait.


	8. S05E07: Christmas of Firsts

Ugly Betty S05 E07:

"Christmas of Firsts"

Betty's alarm beeped at 7:30am. She got up to see Daniel still sleeping peacefully. She couldn't believe that she and Daniel were together after all this time! Daniel had stayed almost every other night at her place ever since they took their relationship to the next level at Gio's wedding.

As Betty prepared for her day, she paused to look over a photo of her family at Hilda's wedding. Betty couldn't believe it was Christmastime—the time of joy, peace and, most importantly, family. She was happy to at least have Daniel by her side for her first Christmas in London. She just wished that by some miracle, she would be with all her loved ones on Christmas day. No matter what, she had to try to keep a brave face for Daniel.

She saw him getting up from his peaceful slumber. He came behind her to kiss her on the neck and to whisper to her, "Last night was amazing."

Betty said, "Really think so, after all the girls you've been with in your lifetime?"

Daniel told her, "Yes. You're not just any girl to me, Betty. You are an incredible woman in my eyes—always will be."

Facing Daniel, Betty smirked at him and said, "You sure have a way with words, Daniel Meade. Now go get dress, or you'll be late for school. Are you hungry?"

"Starving, but not for food."

"Then what you are hungry for?"

Daniel pulled her into a passionate kiss. As she sank into his arms, she could feel herself getting seduced, but she pulled away and said, "Nice try, but I have a lot of work to do. I have a Christmas issue to work on. I will cook us up some breakfast while you get ready for school."

"Alright, fine." Daniel sighed. "Hey, Betty?" Daniel called before stepping into the bathroom.

Betty asked, "Yes, Daniel?"

"What do you want to do for Christmas?" Daniel asked. After all, it was their first official Christmas as a couple.

Betty smiled, as it was sweet of him to ask her. Before heading into the kitchen, she went to him, kissed him softly and whispered, "Surprise me."

She left Daniel in a wonderland, thinking of what to give his Betty for Christmas.

* * *

In New York, snow and cold weather were blustering in the city, as Wilhelmina entered the offices of MODE. She witnessed some of her fellow employees giving out Christmas presents and cards and decorating their office space with tinsel and little Christmas trees. Wilhelmina despised people who cared about decorating for a superficial holiday. Wilhelmina was not too thrilled about Christmas, as her Christmas memories were not all too pleasant to remember. She just couldn't wait to get to her own space, which was free and clear of Christmas decorations. She entered her office, horrified to find it decorated into Santa's workshop.

There she saw Marc finishing up the Christmas tree as he plugged in the lights. Marc got up from his feet and cheered, "Merry Christmas, Wilhelmina."

Wilhelmina asked, "What have you done to my office? Who in the hell authorized you to do this?"

"I did, my love." Connor told Wilhelmina from his spot in the corner.

"Why, this is my space, Connor, my place for free self-expression. It's not your right to make my office into a horrid Christmassy wonderland."

It was silent for moment or two. Marc knew it was up to the two lovebirds alone to hash out their Christmas debate. Marc slipped out as Connor whipped out mistletoe and came towards a frustrated and annoyed Wilhelmina, who was trying to get rid of the decorations on her desk. Wilhelmina wanted to give Connor more head-on fury, but as she turned around, Connor swept her into his arms in a passionate and loving mistletoe kiss that made her weak in the knees.

Their lips parted as Connor asked, "Am I forgiven, my darling Christmas tyrant?"

"Yes, of course you are, but please inform me when you are going to do such a thing. You know how this time of year makes me feel all distraught," Wilhelmina told him.

Connor replied, "I know. I _am_ sorry. I just wanted to surprise you—spread some of that Christmas cheer that your employees have, despite all the hardships going on in this country this year."

"That's life, Sweetheart. It is rough and hard in this country, but we manage to get through it." Wilhelmina pulled away from Connor and sat behind her desk.

Connor sighed, bent down to Wilhelmina, and told her, "Wilhelmina, I love you, and I understand that this time of year brings you a great deal of pain, but this year is going to be different. I will ensure you that from here on and forever I will give you the best Christmases that I can give you."

Wilhelmina was grateful and very fortunate. She kissed him with utmost sincerity and love in her heart.

She whispered to him, "Thank you."

"Listen, I hate to do this, my darling, but I have go get your Christmas present, okay? Don't wait up for me."

"Alright. Anyways, I've got a lot of work to do in finishing the final touches for the Christmas issue."

* * *

In Manhattan, Justin came home from school, gleaming with joy and delight and calling for his mother and his stepfather Bobby to share the great news he had just received. "Mom, Bobby, where are you?"

Bobby was hanging lights in the living room as Hilda yelled at him for the lights not being straight.

Hilda screamed at Bobby, "I tell you, Bobby, the lights are not even! Go up higher."

"Hey, Baby, come on. Cut me some slack. I can't go any higher! Why does everything need to be straight with you?"

"Because it's our first Christmas for our baby and for the new family. I want everything right. It needs to be prefect."

Justin called out again, "Hello, anybody home? Mom, Bobby, where are you?"

"In the living room, Justin baby."

Justin dropped his things on the couch as he looked at the uneven lights. "You know the lights aren't straight, right?"

Bobby snapped, "Alright, I give up! Justin, you can hang up the lights. I need a break."

"No, wait, Bobby. Don't leave. I got something to tell you guys. I got the part! I'm the lead in the LaGuardia's production of _A Christmas Carol_."

Hilda squealed and cheered for her Justin. She was so proud of him. This was just the thing Justin needed to boost up his confidence since he and Austin had broken up. As she hugged and kissed him on the forehead, she said, "So proud of you, baby."

"Yeah, that is great, man," Bobby told him as he gave him a high five.

"Thanks. I wish Aunt Betty was here and not in Jolly old England, so she could see me act in my first lead at the new school," Justin said.

Hilda, feeling the same way, agreed, "I know, baby, but don't worry. We will record every second of it for her. Promise."

"Thanks, Mom." Justin thought this lead would make him happy, but he still felt some part of him was missing. He missed Austin, and he wished he could share this with him. Justin tried his best to hold in his heartbreak. With his best acting smile, he said, "Well, I better go and rehearse my lines."

Justin went to his room, not to study his lines, but to cry on bed, holding a picture of him and Austin dancing together at his mother's wedding. He prayed that for Christmas he and Austin would reunite.

* * *

In London, Daniel couldn't seem to concentrate in class, as he was not thinking about the commercialism of Christmas, but on how to make his and Betty's first Christmas remarkable. So lost in thinking about Betty, he didn't know that the professor had asked him, "Mr. Meade, might you tell us why advertisers don't use God or iconic images of Christ?"

Daniel thought he was talking to himself, but he was speaking out loud for everyone to hear. "I know. I will create 'Christmas in New York.'"

Daniel's fellow classmates couldn't help but laugh at Daniel, but he had no clue why they were laughing. The professor said, "Why, Mr. Meade, I don't think creating 'Christmas in New York' has anything to do with commercialism and Christ. Do you care to explain?"

Feeling like an idiot, Daniel coughed and said, "Sorry. I admit I wasn't paying attention and was thinking out loud of another matter. I do apologize. But if you don't mind asking the question again, I will be sure to answer it."

The professor repeated the question for Daniel, and though he answered with detailed thought that impressed her, she suggested he keep his personal thoughts out of her classroom the next time, or be marked a zero for classroom participation.

After class ended, a young woman came up to him and asked, "Hi, I'm Michelle. Do you mind telling me why you want to recreate 'Christmas in New York' and for whom?"

Daniel wasn't sure whether to tell Michelle. He barely knew her, but he needed the help; so he said,

"It is for my girlfriend and our first Christmas together as an official couple. We were born in New York, and um, I think my girlfriend might be homesick."

"Aww, that is just too sweet! I love the idea! Listen, I am majoring in visual art advertising and if you want, I would love to help you recreate New York for you." Daniel was happy to accept Michelle's offer, and they shook and agreed to keep this a surprise at least for now.

Daniel and Michelle talked about the details of the recreation for Christmas in Daniel's apartment and went over the set design. They agreed on recreating the Brooklyn Bridge with the fantastic view of the city, along with having a winter wonderland with it. Daniel could already picture him and Betty dancing under the snow on their bridge. Then suddenly he was pulled back into reality when he heard Betty calling out for him. Daniel told Michelle he had to go and thanked her for helping. He left Michelle to run into Betty's arms for a hug and kiss on the cheek. "Hey there, beautiful. What a surprise."

"Well, I thought I would treat you to a holiday lunch. Are you busy?"

"No, why?" Daniel asked.

"Just wondering. You looked busy with that woman there." Betty pointed out Michelle.

Daniel couldn't help but be curious. "Michelle is a classmate of mine. Jealous?"

"Jealous no, curious yes. What are you two working on? I haven't seen you that focused before," Betty asked.

Daniel replied, "Big Christmas advertising project for school."

"Oh cool. Happy to see school is working out for you, Daniel. I'm sure you and Michelle will do great on your project. Let me know how it goes," Betty said

"Sure. I will fill you in on the results." Daniel smirked. "Ready to head off to lunch?"

As he offered his arm, she took it and said, "Happy to. I am _starving_."

* * *

It was almost 8:00pm, and everyone at MODE was gone except Wilhelmina, who was working on the final touches of the Christmas issue. Every time she started to yawn, she drank a sip from her coffee. After about 20 yawns and 20 sips of coffee, Wilhelmina signed off on the book, closed it, and then looked at a picture on her desk of her and daughter Nico. Whenever she thought of her, she felt concern over the welfare of her child but also felt the hurt and betrayal of own daughter trying to con her out of money. She removed the picture from her sight, as she couldn't bear to look at it. As she placed the picture in her drawer and slammed it shut, she heard a voice.

"Scary isn't it, how she turned out just like you?"

Wilhelmina turned to the young black girl sitting on top of her desk beside her. Wilhelmina asked, "Who are you, little girl, and how did you get in here?"

"Silly Willi, don't you recognize me?" the little girl said.

"No. Should I?" Wilhelmina asked.

"Of course, you should. I am Wanda Lillian Salter—I am you. And I'm here to give you a serious wakeup call."

Wilhelmina sat there in shock as she looked at herself as a young little girl named Wanda.

* * *

Justin needed to get a good night's sleep, as he needed to be fresh and prepared for rehearsals for the play, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Austin. So he got out of bed, put on a fresh set of clothes and sneaked out of his bedroom window. Justin hailed a cab with the money saved up from his chores and rode to Austin's house. He knocked on the door, hoping for Austin to answer. There were lights on in the house, so he must be still awake, and luckily it was Austin who finally opened the door.

Austin was surprised to see Justin on his doorstep. He asked, "Justin, what are you doing here?"

"Austin, I got the lead in _A_ _Christmas Carol_."

"That is awesome, Justin…but right now, it isn't a good time."

"Please, just give me a few minutes. There is something else I need to say you," Justin pleaded.

"Okay, but make it quick," Austin said.

Justin took a deep breath and said, "I love you, Austin. There, I said it: I love you. I've missed you, I want you back, you are my best friend, my confidante, you are the best thing that ever came into my life. Austin, please give us another shot. I know I am in school—yes, my acting career does mean the world to me—but if it means not having you in it, then it means nothing at all. So if it's possible that you can make it happen, I hope that you can come to the play."

Austin was left speechless. He was about to open his mouth when another voice called out for him,

"Hey Austin, are you coming back in or what?" Then another guy came out behind Austin, and Justin's heart dropped. The other boy asked "Who is this?"

Austin replied, "Jacob, this is Justin. He is—"

"I am an old friend of Austin's. I'm sorry for disturbing you. I'll leave."

"Justin it's..."

Justin stopped Austin and told him, "No, I get it. I understand. Bye, Austin."

Justin held back tears from getting his heart broken into two pieces again, never knowing if it would ever be whole again.

* * *

"Wakeup call? Why do I need a wakeup from a figment of my imagination?" Wilhelmina told Little Wanda.

"Really? We'll just see about that." Wanda stood in front, Wilhelmina grabbed a hold of her, and within seconds they were transported to Los Angles in Nico's apartment. Wilhelmina found her daughter sitting alone watching _A Christmas Carol_. Then Nico heard a knock on her door and opened it to find Connor on the other side of the door.

Wilhelmina's heart sunk as she said, "Connor, what are you doing there?"

Wanda informed her, "He can't hear or see you—neither of them can. All you need to do is listen, watch and learn."

Wilhelmina did as she was told, despite the huge age difference between them.

Nico asked Connor, "What in the hell are you doing here?"

Connor let himself into Nico's apartment and told her, "Here to take you to see your mother."

"Excuse me, as far as I'm concerned, I have no mother. And you can tell Wilhelmina that, Connor. Now get out of my house or I will—"

"Will what? Throw me out? Call the police? Don't think so, lass. Now come on, let's hustle. We've got a plane to catch," Connor demanded.

Nico slammed the door and furiously charged at him. "I am not going anywhere."

She was bout to lay a slap across Connor's face, when he stopped in his tracks and told her, "Now, lass, you'll listen to me. I love your mother dearly. I promised a good, decent family Christmas this year. I can't accomplish that without you. You may not believe me, my dear, but your mother loves you despite your problems. She wants to be with you this Christmas. Her life is not whole without you in it. I know you feel the exact same way. Now, you'll come with back to New York even if that means me dragging you through the sands of Los Angles and the snow of New York. Or you can come willingly and act civil by trying to give your mother another chance to redeem herself."

Wilhelmina shed tears, saying nothing. Just as she was about to speak, Little Wanda grabbed a hold of her hand, and she was transported back to MODE. Wilhelmina was not thrilled. "Why did you do that? I wanted to know her answer."

Wanda informed her, "I can't give you that answer. I am just showing you that you still have a chance to redeem yourself. Everyone, including an ice queen such as yourself, can have a warm and good heart."

Then as Wilhelmina demanded answers, Little Wanda faded way. She soon was awakened by Marc. "Wilhelmina, wake up. Who are you talking to?"

"Marc, where is me?" she asked.

Marc was confused "You are at MODE, Willi."

"No. _Wanda_, where is she?" Wilhelmina asked.

Marc couldn't help but think that she had had enough eggnog for the night but didn't say that aloud. He asked, "Wanda who? Willi, it's almost midnight. Connor called and said he will be arriving tomorrow morning. You better get home. Want me to take you?"

Wilhelmina told him, "No, but thank you, Marc. I'll head home on my own."

Marc left, and Wilhelmina was left scratching her head and wondering whether what had just happened was real or not.

* * *

In London, Daniel and Betty were having lunch at Cafe Boheme. Their lunch was quiet at first. Daniel couldn't help but notice that something was plaguing Betty, so he asked her, "What's the matter, Betty?"

"Daniel?" she asked, "Do you miss home?"

"You mean New York?" Daniel asked.

Betty replied, "Of course New York."

Daniel told her, "Sorry. Anywhere with you is considered home to me."

Betty smirked. "You know what? You sure know how to make me smile."

"Well," Daniel sighed, "I aim to please."

"You sure do," she told him then asked again, "So, do you miss New York, MODE, or your mom?"

"Everyday I miss them, Betty. Let me guess: you want to go back to New York this Christmas?"

Betty sighed. "I know it's asking a lot, but is there any possible way we can get home for Christmas?"

Daniel told her, "Betty, I love you, and believe me when I say I would do anything to get you home this Christmas. And I hope you don't hate me for being selfish, but this is your first Christmas here in London and I have something special planned for us at my apartment."

"Aww, Daniel, so sweet of you. And No, I don't hate you. Maybe next year then."

"Definitely. But how about this? Maybe on New Year's Eve we can take a small vacation home. And when the clock strikes twelve, we can celebrate at home in New York," he told Betty.

Betty said nothing but leaned across the table and kissed him softly on the lips. She whispered, "I love you, Daniel Meade, and God bless you."

"I love you too, and you're welcome," Daniel replied as he kissed her softly back. They finished their lunch and headed back to work.

* * *

The dawn rose across the New York sky. It was Christmas morning. Wilhelmina woke to the sound of Connor's voice. "Wake up my Lilly pad, it's Christmas." He kissed her on the head.

Wilhelmina slowly opened her eyes as she smiled and kissed him back on the lips, pulling him into her arms. "Welcome home, Darling. Merry Christmas."

"Good to be home, and Merry Christmas too. I have a surprise for you in the living room."

"Really? What it is, Connor?"

"Take my hand, and I will show you." Connor held out his hand.

With no hesitation, Wilhelmina grabbed his hand as she got out of bed and followed him into the living room. She stopped dead in her tracks when she found her daughter Nico sitting on the couch. Nico stood, arms crossed. She sighed, "Merry Christmas. Mom."

Wilhelmina said nothing at first. She had tears in her eyes. She walked over to her daughter, looked straight into her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Nico."

Nico was surprised. "What did you say?"

"I am sorry." she repeated, "for everything—for the things I did and didn't do with you. I see now that my heart was hardened, but after some realizations yesterday, I should be grateful that I have a man who loves me dearly." She looked at Connor. "And what I should be most grateful for is having you, Nico, and I promise I will love you and treat you as a daughter should be treated by her mother."

Nico was now shedding tears. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. All I know is how happy I am you came. It's the best Christmas gift a mother like me could get." Wilhelmina hugged Nico, and Nico embraced her mother back. Connor soon joined them together in the embrace, happy that his Christmas mission was successful.

* * *

Later on, as the sun went across the New York sky, Justin, along with rest of his family, was at the Queens' community center. Justin and his mother were in his dressing room, preparing for his first performance of _A Christmas Carol_.

Then the stage manager called, "Ten minutes, curtain call."

Justin had even more nerves than ten minutes before. He still couldn't believe that this was happening. After all the hard work at his school, it was finally paying off. He just prayed Austin would be there to see it.

Hilda could easily tell her son's nervousness, and she tried her best to calm him down. "Justin baby, take deep breaths. You'll blow them away tonight."

"Thanks, Mom. Just so nervous. My first big lead in high school."

Hilda said, "I know. You worked hard, and look at you! I barely recognize you. You are so in-character."

"Mom, thanks, but if you don't mind giving me a few minutes to prepare on my own…"

Hilda wanted to kiss him on the head for luck, but she didn't want to ruin his makeup; so she left him. Now alone, Justin prayed not only for a good performance but for Austin to watch him. Then there was a knock on the door. Justin opened it, and to his amazement, it was Austin on the other side of the door.

Justin couldn't contain his excitement as he hugged Austin and said, "You came!"

Austin chuckled. "Of course I came. After all, it is your first big performance. Listen, do you have a few minutes so we can talk?"

Justin replied, "Yeah, I do. Come on in."

As Austin entered room, Justin asked, "So where is your friend Jacob? Is he here with you?"

"No. About that…Jacob is my lab partner, that's all. We are working on a project together."

"So Jacob is not your boyfriend?"

Austin sighed, "Well, he is a boy but just a friend, nothing more. And I wanted to tell you that I miss you too, and I was wondering if you wanted to go out later after the play? If you are not busy?"

"Busy for you? I am free to go anywhere with you!"

Austin and Justin smiled at each other. As Austin was about to leave, he told Justin, "Knock them dead."

Justin chuckled as Austin left. He was _so_ ready to take the stage and blow the minds of his Audience.

* * *

In London, over at his apartment, Daniel was putting the final touches on the recreation of New York, and he was happy that he had Michelle helping him out. He lit the candles then he heard a knock on his door. He adjusted his black Armani suit, took a deep breath and opened the door.

Betty was happy to see Daniel as dashing as always. Daniel marveled at Betty's beauty in a gorgeous, sparkling red GUCCI dress. They shared a mistletoe kiss, since there was mistletoe underneath the door. Then Betty entered his apartment.

Daniel came behind her and covered her eyes with his right hand as he took her hand with his left and led her to the living room. Daniel whispered to her to keep her eyes closed. He left her side for just a second to turn on the fan that slowly sprinkled fake snow and turned on the music on the CD player. The song "On a Night Like This," by Dave Barnes began to play.

Betty was so nervous and anxious to see what Daniel had in mind for them this Christmas, and she couldn't help but feel like Beauty from _Beauty and the Beast_, her all time favorite movie, as she eagerly waited for her Beast/Prince to tell her to open her eyes and see her surprise. Betty couldn't resist in acting out the scene as she asked, "Now may I open them?"

"Yes, open your eyes now, Betty."

She slowly opened her eyes to see that Daniel had completely transformed his apartment into a Winter Wonderland in New York. Daniel stood right in front of her, behind him slow falling snow came down on a mockup version of the Brooklyn Bridge—"their bridge." She wanted to cry but she was wearing mascara. She didn't want to look horrid in front Daniel. Then he came towards her without asking and held out his hand. She grasped onto it, and they began to dance. They moved along with the lyrics of the song:

_The way you move is a lullaby  
I could fall in love with you_

The day's last sight turns to cool night's breeze  
And this love hangs thick like these willow leaves  
I've hid myself away from this  
but your silhouette is a Judas kiss

On a night like this, I could fall in love  
I could fall in love with you

The song continued playing instrumentally as Daniel asked Betty, "Do you like my Christmas present?"

"Like it? I love you! It the best gift a woman like me could ask for." She and Daniel shared a kiss and proceeded to dance some more.

Several days later, Daniel did as he promised and took her home for New Year's where they celebrated with love and both of their families at Bobby and Hilda's home. Once it stuck twelve, Daniel and Betty, Elena and Ingracio, Austin and Justin, and Bobby and Hilda kissed each other, bringing good luck for future years.

After New Year's rang in, Daniel stepped outside for some fresh air. Ignacio joined him and said, "Thank you for bringing my daughter home. This holiday means a lot to me, Daniel."

"It was my honor to do so, Ignacio. Speaking of which, Mr. Suarez, there is something important I need to ask you."

"Stop right there, Daniel Meade. There is no need to ask me any such thing. All I ask is that you give Betty _this_ when the time is right." Ignacio handed Daniel a ring box, and Daniel opened it to find a set of rings. Ignacio told Daniel, "This engagement ring and this wedding ring were Betty's mother's, and I know they are not as tasteful as the ones you gave your former wife, Molly. But I hope that you appreciate the sentimental value."

Daniel nodded his head in agreement. "I do appreciate this very much, but I have to ask you: is this engagement ring an Irish ring?"

Ignacio said, "Yes it is, but what the ring symbolizes means so much. That is why I bought it. You see Daniel, the crown means loyalty, the hands mean companionship, and the heart—well, that explains it all by itself—and that ring symbolizes what marriage means."

"I understand. Thank you, Ignacio."

"Good. Daniel, there is no need to ask me for my daughter's hand, because that is Betty's decision to make. All I ask is that you keep respecting and loving my daughter for who she is as a woman."

"I will, Ignacio."

They shook hands. Ignacio patted him on the back and said, "Come on! It's freezing. Let's go back inside and celebrate with our loved ones."

Ignacio and Daniel returned inside, and Ignacio greeted Claire and whispered some news in her ear. Her heart melted, and she went towards her son, telling him how proud she was of him and wishing him and Betty a great start to the New Year. Then Daniel returned to Betty, and they danced along to the traditional New Year's song, "Auld Lang Syne."

_Should Old Acquaintance be forgot,  
and never thought upon;  
The flames of Love extinguished,  
and fully past and gone:  
Is thy sweet Heart now grown so cold,  
that loving Breast of thine;  
That thou canst never once reflect  
on Old long syne._

_CHORUS: _ _On Old long syne my Jo,  
in Old long syne,  
That thou canst never once reflect,  
on Old long syne._

_My Heart is ravisht with delight,  
when thee I think upon;  
All Grief and Sorrow takes the flight,  
and speedily is gone;  
The bright resemblance of thy Face,  
so fills this, Heart of mine;  
That Force nor Fate can me displease,  
for Old long syne._

_CHORUS_

_Since thoughts of thee doth banish grief,  
when from thee I am gone;  
will not thy presence yield relief,  
to this sad Heart of mine:  
Why doth thy presence me defeat,  
with excellence divine?  
Especially when I reflect  
on Old long syne_

Happy Holidays from all members of UBVS :)


	9. S05E08:Valentine's Day Sucks

Ugly Betty

Episode 5.08

Valentine's Day Sucks

By Alexis Rockford

14.02.2011 6:00 am GMT

*BEEP BEEP BEEP*

An arm shot out from under the covers and slapped the snooze button. Mondays were always a downer, but this one even more so after the wonderful weekend Daniel had just had. Besides, it was much too early to be getting up on such a cold day. Daniel would rather stay in bed and snuggle with his best friend in the whole world. He smiled thinking of her curled up asleep beside him. Carefully, so as not to awaken her, he turned over in bed to look at the most beautiful face he had ever seen . . . and screamed.

Instead of Betty, a large pink, furry face stared back at him. After his heart rate slowed a bit, he realized it was a stuffed bear. But not just any stuffed bear. This bear was a garish, fluorescent pink and covered with purple hearts.

"Surprise!" said a voice.

UGLY BETTY

The bear was tossed aside, and there sat Betty, dressed in a red oversized sweater adorned with pink hearts and cupids and purple leggings underneath.

Now that the furry monstrosity was out of his face, Daniel noticed that the room was full of enormous bouquets of roses and heart-shaped balloons. A giant banner hanging on the opposite wall proclaimed "Happy Valentine's Day!" in fancy calligraphy.

"Erm," was all he could think to say.

"Well?" prodded Betty. "Do you like it? It took me weeks to plan. I even had to order some of this stuff online because the Brits don't seem to be quite as much into this holiday as we are." She laughed merrily, her brown eyes sparkling.

"How did you manage to do all this without waking me up?" he asked incredulously. "You didn't slip something into my champagne last night, did you?"

Betty swatted his arm playfully. "Of course not, Daniel. I didn't have to. You nearly put away that whole bottle by yourself last night, remember?" She ribbed him gently.

"So that's why you barely drank any," he mused. "For a moment I thought you might be . . ." He looked away awkwardly.

"Pregnant?" she supplied. "God, no. We've been much too careful for that. After that Be-Shure scare last year . . ." She shuddered. "No, I'm not quite ready for children yet, thank you very much. Besides, Hilda would kill me if I stole some of her baby thunder."

Daniel felt an unexpected jab of pain in his chest, but he ignored it. "Of course. I remember you telling me how scary that was for you." He put his arm around her consolingly and she relaxed into his chest.

"So, are you ready for another round?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "You fell asleep way too fast last night."

It was the last thing Daniel felt like emotionally, but he smiled and unbuttoned his pyjama top, hoping that the next few minutes of bliss might help to heal the discomfort in his heart.

8:00 am EST

"Good Morning, Sunshine!"

Hilda awoke to the smell of hot coffee, and felt the immediate need to vomit. "Hey, baby," she said weakly, trying to choke back the wave of nausea as Bobby sat on the bed next to her, a tray full of breakfast foods in his hands.

"I know you've been having trouble getting going in the mornings," he said gently, as she sat up, careful not to knock the tray. "So, I thought I'd serve you breakfast in bed. Happy Valentine's Day!"

"Thanks," she said, reaching for a slice of dry toast. Hopefully it would calm her stomach enough so that she could enjoy the rest of the meal.

"These last few months have been pretty tough for you, haven't they?" he asked quietly as she nibbled on the crust.

"You think?" she said, rubbing her protruding stomach with her free hand.

Bobby laughed softly and placed the tray on the nightstand. He placed his large rough hand on top of her slender, well-manicured one. "Ooh! I think I felt her kick!"

"Her?" Hilda asked, quirking a beautifully sculpted eyebrow. "You think it's a girl?" Hilda was due in a few weeks, but they had decided they wanted to be surprised by the baby's gender.

Bobby shrugged. "Today I do."

Hilda giggled, but that only made her stomach feel worse. "Oh, crap!" she said and made a quick run for the bathroom.

Bobby sighed and played with the pancakes on her untouched plate. "You ok, sweetie?" he called after a few minutes. He heard the toilet flush and the sink run. Finally, Hilda reappeared in the doorway, looking like she'd just been hit by a bus.

"I'm terrific," she mumbled, crawling back into bed. "Never felt better." Bobby tried to stroke her hair, but she swatted him away. "Not now. I need to be alone for a few minutes, ok?" Bobby nodded and headed for the door. "Oh, and could you take that tray with you?" she pleaded miserably. "The coffee is making me gag again."

"Yes, dear," he replied removing the remnants of his failed breakfast in bed. Why did all of his attempts to help his wife seem to backfire lately?

8:15 am EST

Marc St. James grabbed his keys and headed toward the door of his apartment with a huge portfolio under his arm. It was bulging with so many papers that he nearly dropped it. "Mandy, I could use a hand here!" he cried as he desperately tried to keep the folder from plummeting to the floor. When she didn't respond, he rolled his eyes and turned back toward the living area so he could set his load down for a moment. Then he stormed over to her bedroom and barged in. "The least you could've done was open the door for m-" He stopped mid-sentence as he noticed that Amanda was standing in front of her mirror wearing nothing but her lacy Victoria Secrets.

"God, nothing seems right!" she said, throwing a designer blouse on top of the growing pile of rejects on her bed. "Marc, what do you think?" she turned to her best friend with a question in her grey-green eyes.

"I think you should put some clothes on, woman," he retorted, grabbing a bathrobe from the floor and throwing it at her. "No one needs to see that so early in the day."

"What are you talking ab-oh," she finished, looking down at her scantily clad body. Suddenly, for no reason whatsoever, her face felt very warm and her heart began to speed up. "Sorry," she said, quickly pulling the robe on and trying to calm down. _What's the matter with you? _she asked herself._ It's only Marc. As if anything would have happened. _"Anyway, I need your opinion. What should I wear today?"

"What's so important about today?" Marc snapped. "Look, Mandy, I'm in a hurry. Could you help me with this folder at least until I get out the door? Willi's towncar is waiting for me outside. I've got an important meeting at ten, and I'm running late, late, late!"

Amanda frowned. "I've told you twenty times. Tyler is taking me out to lunch for Valentine's Day. Don't you listen to me anymore?"

"What is this Valentine's Day you speak of?" Marc asked in exasperation. "Oh, yes, now I remember. It's that cheesy gaudy Hallmark holiday that homosexuals are still largely excluded from."

She rolled her eyes. "Come on, Marc, it's the twenty-first century and we live in New York."

"Whatever," he muttered. "So can we continue this conversation later? I need to get to work. Oh, and in case you didn't hear it the first three times: I need help carrying stuff!"

"We can't continue this conversation later!" Amanda stuck her bottom lip out in a pout. "Lunch will have come and gone before I see you again."

"Fine," he said testily and pointed at a random outfit. "Wear this."

Amanda appraised his choice dubiously. "This one? Really?"

"Oh, for the love of Prada," said Marc in exasperation.

"Ok, ok, I'll wear it," she agreed, not wanting to ruffle his feathers further. "Now, what did you say you needed help with?"

Marc planted his face in his palm. It was only 8:21 in the morning, and already he knew this would be a long day.

1:30 p.m. GMT

Betty nudged her office door with a free shoulder, and it opened, revealing a stack of papers that had definitely not been on her desk when she went to lunch. She set her drink and small doggie bag down and prepared to tackle another afternoon of work. Just then, she heard a polite rapping on her door. She turned to see her personal assistant standing in the doorway. Betty grinned. It seemed so bizarre that after three years of being Daniel's social secretary, she should actually have her own "Betty" to boss around. She was still getting used to it, but so far she loved it.

"Mr. Phillips called while you were out," she said in that clipped English accent that Betty found so charming. "He wants to meet with you next week to discuss his account."

"Thanks, Chelsea," Betty said, scooting forward in her chair. "I'll call him back right away." Mr. Phillips was the owner of a big London company that was interested in advertising in upcoming issues. Betty only hoped she had the diplomacy and finesse to land the contract. She reached for the receiver and prepared to dial. "Do you have his number handy?"

"Absolutely, Ms. Suarez." Chelsea produced a post-it note and stuck it to Betty's monitor.

"On the ball as usual," Betty quipped with a smile as the phone rang in her ear. After setting the appointment for the following Wednesday, she replaced the receiver with a sigh.

"Is anything amiss?" asked a voice.

Betty jumped in her seat, knocking the receiver off the hook. Chelsea put it back for her. "Oh," Betty said in relief. "I forgot you were still here."

"Of course I am," she replied. "I need to add your appointment to the calendar."

Betty slapped herself on the forehead. "Where is my head?" She gave her assistant the information, expecting her to leave immediately, but she lingered in the office.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Chelsea asked with concern.

Betty thought about it a moment before she answered. "Just jitters, I guess. It's my first Valentine's Day with my boyfriend—who also happens to be my best friend in the world."

"Oh, right. Daniel."

"How do you know his name?" Betty asked in shock.

Chelsea rolled her eyes. "You talk about him all the time, love."

"I do?" Betty turned as red as her blouse.

Chelsea laughed. "Yes. And besides that he works here part-time. Not to mention the fact that you had me order all those flowers for him, remember?"

"Oh, yeah," she muttered, remembering the bemused look on Daniel's face when he saw her Valentine's surprise. "That didn't exactly go as well as I planned."

"Aw," Chelsea consoled her. "But what can you expect? From a man, I mean."

Betty sighed, hoping that was all it was.

12:45 p.m. EST

Amanda Tannen-Sommers entered the door of _Chez Marcel_ fifteen minutes early. She informed the _maitre d_ of her reservation, and he seated her at a secluded table near the back of the restaurant. Her heart beat crazily in her chest as she fluffed her hair and touched up her makeup. Tyler's schedule hadn't really meshed with hers these past few weeks, and she was looking forward to seeing him again. Finally, after what felt like hours, she saw his muscular figure approaching from across the room. She jumped up and kissed him full on the lips, expecting him to respond with equal passion, but while he didn't pull away, he also didn't seem all that eager either.

"Hi," he said as their lips parted.

Amanda blinked at him in confusion. "Um, hi. What was all that about?"

Tyler pulled her chair out for her, all the while holding her gaze at her evenly. "What was what all about?"

"That half-assed kiss," Amanda continued. "Oh, my God!" Her eyes widened with sudden understanding. "You're breaking up with me!"

Tyler rolled his eyes as he sat down opposite to her. "No, I'm not. Why would I want to do that?"

"I don't know," she offered meekly as she buried her head in the menu. What was the matter with her today?

"I'm just a little uncomfortable with public displays of affection, that's all."

Amanda checked her database of memories. Had Tyler always been this shy? "I guess that makes sense." She took a sip of water to emphasize her point.

"Why do you ask, anyway?" he continued. "_You_ don't want to break up with _me_ do you?"

Amanda spit her water, spraying Tyler in the process. "Oh, God! I'm sorry!" she reached for the rolled up napkin at her place. In her rush to undo it, all the silverware inside rolled off the table onto the floor.

Tyler chuckled as he flagged down a waiter. "Amanda, relax. It was an accident. Have you been hanging out with Betty again?"

She laughed weakly at his joke. "Yeah, I've been watching her on webcam. That must be the problem. And no."

"No?" He looked confused.

"No, I don't want to break up with you," she said urgently. Their eyes locked, and she felt the heat she always did when he looked at her that way.

He smiled. "Good."

The rest of their meal passed uneventfully until the waiter brought the dessert cart. "Ooh!" squealed Amanda. "I love crème brulee."

"Two," Tyler instructed. The waiter nodded and wheeled the cart off. "I should have ordered three," he joked. "My mom loves the stuff. Of course, it wouldn't keep very well on the plane."

Amanda swallowed hard around the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. "Claire likes crème brulee?"

"No, not Claire, my adoptive mom," he corrected, sipping his coffee.

Amanda frowned. "You're not going back to South Dakota again, are you?"

Tyler's face darkened. "Yeah, I am. Is there a problem?"

Amanda felt like curling up into a little ball and disappearing altogether. "No, I guess not. It's just . . . it seems like you just got back."

"I haven't been in almost three months," he retorted. "They're my family, Amanda. They support me and love me. It's a lot easier to stick with your program in an environment like that. If you hadn't noticed, New York isn't exactly AA friendly."

"But I love you, too," Amanda countered. "And we've barely seen each other since New Year's." She knew it was selfish, but she couldn't help it.

"It won't be forever." He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

She nodded, trying hard not to cry. "When are you leaving?"

Tyler checked his watch. "Oh, crap. I was supposed to be at the airport half an hour ago." He stood to leave. "Sorry, babe, I've got to go." He fished in his wallet for a credit card and handed it to her. "Give this to the waiter, will you?" He kissed her firmly on the mouth, and left.

Amanda sighed as the waiter returned with their desserts. "Is the gentleman returning?" he asked politely. When Amanda shook her head, he continued. "Then I'll just take this one back to the kitchen."

"Don't you dare," said Amanda.

2:26 p.m. EST

Bobby paid the cab driver and ran to the other side of the taxi to help his very pregnant wife out.

"I feel like the Goodyear blimp," Hilda complained as she struggled to her feet.

As soon as she was safely on the sidewalk, Bobby reached into his pocket and produced a blindfold.

"Are you serious?" said Hilda.

"C'mon!" encouraged Bobby. "I want this to be a real surprise."

Shrugging, Hilda let her husband put the strip of cloth over her eyes and tie it tight.

"No peaking!" he insisted.

If Bobby could have seen them, she would've rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's get this over with."

Bobby was stung by her flippancy, but he didn't let it show as he led her into a nearby shop front.

"Now!" said Bobby, removing the blindfold.

Hilda blinked as her eyes were unused to the light. When she could finally focus, she realized she was inside a decrepit old beauty parlour. The mirrors were cracked and the furniture covered with dust, but it was still the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She was about to tell Bobby this, but before she could, she felt something hot and warm running down her face. They should have been tears of joy, but instead she felt miserable.

"What do you think?" said her oblivious husband. "I've talked the landlord down to a ridiculous price, and I've already got some investors lined up."

"Investors?" she sniffled, trying to get her emotions under control.

"Sure," Bobby continued. "Papi and a couple of his friends plus a few of mine. They can't wait to see you set up."

"Well, they're going to have to," Hilda choked, rifling through her purse for a tissue.

Bobby suddenly turned to look at her. "Sweetheart," he said, finally noticing her tears. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Hilda retorted, blowing her nose loudly. "Everything: I'm as big as a house, my hormones are a mess, and my life is absolutely over!"

"There, there," he said with a hand on her shoulder. "You won't be pregnant much longer. The baby will be here soon."

But this only made her cry harder. "I know. That's the problem. Once the baby comes, I will be back to being a fulltime mom. I won't have time for a career. I will once again be the useless daughter."

"You're not useless," he countered, but Hilda couldn't even hear him over the sound of her own wrenching sobs.

8:03 p.m. GMT

Daniel nervously checked his Rolex for the umpteenth time. It was so unlike Betty to be late, especially for a dinner with him. He patted his coat pocket to reassure himself that the ring box was still there. Just running his fingers over its smooth, square outline gave him the jitters. He had been waiting for an opportune time to propose ever since he had asked Papi for her hand at Christmas. He had decided that tonight was the night. If her behaviour this morning was any indication, Betty was only too eager for him to make an honest woman out of her. Then why did he feel he was about to make a colossal mistake?

Just then, the hostess showed her into the private room he had reserved especially for them. His heart began to pound mercilessly as he stood, offering her a chair. She looked absolutely breathtaking in a hot pink chenille dress that hugged her curves in all the right places. She smiled graciously at him and sat down, careful not to hike up her skirt as he did so. He grinned back, suddenly feeling terribly self-conscious. Could she tell how important tonight was for them?

"I'm so sorry I'm late," Betty prattled. "One of our advertisers called at quarter to five, so I was talking to him for about an hour. Then, I left my Oyster card at work so I had to walk all the way back from the Underground. By the time I got on a train, it was quite late, and they had us packed on like sardines." She laughed at the memory. "When I tried to get off at Charing Cross, there were these two . . . larger gentlemen in the way that prevented my exit, so I had to get off at the Embankment and come back."

Daniel couldn't hide a smile as she described the scene. Even with all her newfound London sophistication, Betty was still Betty. It was reassuring in a way that even when her surroundings changed, she never did.

"So, how was your day?" she asked, beginning to peruse the menu.

"Oh, same old, same old," he said, his eyes still admiring her from across the table. "We had to do some awful group presentation in class today." He made a face. "If there is one thing I never was good at, it's the whole playing-with-others thing."

"I know what you mean," she replied. "I used to hate doing those projects. Somehow, one person always ends up doing all the work."

Daniel frowned slightly. Usually, when he berated himself like that, Betty would come up with a list of his good qualities and launch into a full-on pep talk. Instead, she seemed to agree that he didn't play well with others. "Uh huh," was the most intelligent thing he could think to say.

"Anyway," Betty continued, "I'm really excited about the prospect of this new account. Not only is Worthington's the father company of the biggest bookstore chain in Britain, it also has holdings in a variety of other companies that I really think will appeal to the intelligent female demographic."

"Mm hmm," he replied, trying not to sound bored. What account was this? Daniel wished he had been paying more attention to her conversations about the magazine. After all, he was their consultant, for crying out loud.

At that moment, the waiter arrived to take their order, and Daniel heaved a sigh of relief. After ordering lobster for both of them and a bottle of authentic champagne, Daniel turned to look at Betty. "So, that production in the bedroom this morning."

Betty nodded. "Yeah, wasn't that great. I worked so hard to get it all ready in time and it turned out perfectly, if I do say so myself."

"Sure," Daniel agreed. "If you like that sort of thing." The words came out unbidden and immediately regretted.

"What?" said Betty with a look of shock on her face.

"I mean, it was sort of, you know . . ." he fumbled for the right word, ". . . feminine."

"Really?" she said quietly. "Well, I suppose so."

"Not that I don't appreciate the effort you put into it," he interjected. "It was very thoughtful of you."

Betty brightened a little at his words, and Daniel had the feeling of narrowly escaping a train wreck.

The waiter returned with the wine, and Daniel tasted it eagerly. After he nodded in approval, the waiter left and Daniel poured for both he and Betty.

Betty took one gulp and almost spit it out. "What is this?"

Daniel stared at her in disbelief. "It's champagne. What else?"

"It's so dry though," she said, taking another tentative sip.

"Real champagne is dry, Betty," he explained. "It's not supposed to be soda pop. Didn't you ever have any at those Mode parties I used to send you to?"

"I guess," she admitted. "I just don't remember it being this . . . weird."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "It's fine Betty. It's supposed to taste that way."

"Well, alright then."

Daniel patted his coat pocket to calm himself down. _Relax,_ he told himself. _Betty is just being Betty. That's what you love about her. She's the opposite of pretentious, and she's not afraid to have unpopular opinions._

Betty, who seemed to have forgotten the distasteful champagne, sighed happily as she gazed at him across the table. "One year ago today," she began dreamily, "who'd have thought I'd be spending Valentine's Day with you?"

His heart rate sped up as he met her eyes. "Who'd have thought that I'd be dating my best friend?" he agreed.

"Let's drink to friendship," said Betty suddenly, raising her glass.

"And love," added Daniel as their glasses clinked.

As they raised their champagne flutes to their lips, Daniel impulsively reached out and grabbed her free hand. She smiled at him and squeezed back with affection.

Someone just outside the door cleared their throat. Daniel motioned, and a violinist entered and began playing a romantic tune.

_This is it_, thought Daniel as he reached into his pocket. _It's now or never._

Betty gasped in shock as he fell to one knee and produced the ring box. "Betty," he said. "You are my best friend in the entire world. You know me better than I know myself. Please, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He opened the box and there sat Rosa Suarez's engagement ring, sparkling like the day it was first purchased.

"Daniel, I," she began, overwrought with emotion. "I don't know what to say."

He felt as though the floor was crumbling beneath him. _She's stalling. Why is she stalling? _

"I want to say 'yes,' but-"

His heart fell to his shoes. "But?"

"But," she continued, "I feel like we're moving way too fast." The violin music screeched to a halt.

His face drained of all colour. "Too fast? Betty, we've known each other for five years!"

"But I've only just begun to think of you as a romantic possibility at all," she protested. "Besides, there's my career to think of. My magazine is in its first year of launch. I'm in a very delicate position right now."

Daniel got back to his feet. "What about my position? Betty, I think I've loved you since the first day I saw you. How much longer do you expect me to wait?" The violinist sneaked out while no one was watching.

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Really, Daniel? As I recall, you couldn't stand me when we first met."

"Alright, maybe I disliked you the first week of our acquaintance," he admitted. "But since then, I've felt nothing but love for you."

"What about Sofia?" she challenged. "And Molly? You loved them, too."

"But I still loved you," he finished lamely. "And I want to be with you forever. Can't you see I'm committed here?"

Betty's countenance softened at these words. "I'm committed, too. But I have other commitments as well. Can't you just give me more time?"

Daniel was about to cave to her request, but suddenly, a very male part of him, a part that had just been hurt deeply, surfaced without his behest. "No," he said quietly but firmly. "I want you to choose right here, right now. Me or your career."

Betty's eyes welled with tears. "I can't make that choice. Please, if you truly love me, don't force me to."

"Choose."

Tears streamed down her perfect, beautiful face. "No."

"Then, I'll choose for you." He tossed the ring box on the ground and left without another word.

7:57 p.m. EST

Marc St. James looked at his watch as the elevator in his building rode him up to his apartment. It wasn't even eight o'clock yet. He sighed. How pathetic to be home this early on Valentine's Day. But Willi _would_ schedule a breakfast meeting for the next morning, so he'd had to kiss Troy goodbye early and call it a night.

As soon as he approached the door to his flat, he knew something was wrong. The TV inside was blasting at full volume. Worse than that, it sounded like it was tuned to some stupid nature show. "Mandy?" he called as he let himself in the door.

When he saw her, he gasped. She was sitting in front of the boob tube wearing the baggiest pair of sweats he had ever seen. On top of that, she had a martini in one hand and a candy bar in the other. Evidently, he wasn't the only pathetic one this evening.

"Oh, my Gucci!" he cried, dropping his briefcase on a chair and running over. "What happened to you?"

"Oh, nothing much," she slurred, setting her empty glass on the floor. "Just the usual."

"Did Tyler dump you?" he demanded to know. "Because I swear I'll tie his manly parts in a knot."

She smiled up at him. "You're sweet, Marc, but violence doesn't suit you. Besides, he didn't dump me at all."

"Then what the hell is going on here?" He threw up his arms in exasperation. "There's no other reason for you to be dressed like a slob and pigging out."

"Sure there is," she chirped. "He left me in the middle of my crème brulee to go play with the cows in South Dakota again."

"Oh, Mandy." Marc slumped onto the couch beside her. "I can't believe that bitch did that to you."

She shrugged. "S'ok. I've been looking for an excuse to binge for a while now."

Marc put his arm around her and squeezed her close. "At least you've still got me."

Amanda nodded, and snuggled into his shoulder happily. She breathed in the delicious scent of his aftershave for a few minutes and sighed. Marc always smelled so good. And he was the one person she could truly rely on. She turned to look at him. He was so pretty with his eyes closed like that, his dark lashes splayed across his pale cheeks. On impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him, a light gentle kiss right on his sweet pink mouth. She felt a sudden surge of adrenaline through her veins and she kissed him again, this time deeply and with a passion she'd never felt before.

Marc, who'd apparently nodded off, returned the kiss with equal fervor until his eyes popped open and he realized what had just happened. "Oh, my God!" he cried. "You're not Patrick Swayze!"

Amanda's face burned as she turned away, desperate to calm her racing heart. _No, I'm definitely not_, she thought.

8:12 p.m. EST

"Are you almost done in there?" called Hilda from the living room. "I'm starving!"

"Hold your horses, mamasita," said a voice in the general direction of the kitchen.

A second later, Bobby entered with a plate full of piping hot tamales. "Dinner is served."

"It's about time," Hilda complained as he set the meal on a TV tray. She closed her eyes and inhaled the glorious aroma. When she opened them, she noticed that the pastries looked a little dark. "Did you burn them?" she accused.

Bobby turned a couple over, revealing their charred underbellies. "Oh, man," he said. "I swear I followed Papi's instructions explicitly."

Hilda pursed her lips, hiding a smile. "I knew I should've asked for scrambled eggs."

Bobby frowned, his brow furrowing in disappointment. "I'm so sorry, baby. I wanted everything about today to be perfect. But no matter what I try to do, I screw up big time."

"Well, there's your problem," she retorted.

"Huh?"

"Nothing is perfect, you dummy," she ruffled his hair affectionately. "So stop trying to achieve the impossible."

Bobby smiled at her. "That's true." He picked the plate up with a sigh. "But I was at least hoping you'd like the beauty parlour this afternoon."

Hilda shook her head. "You've got it all wrong. I _did_ like it. I _loved_ it, in fact. But I just don't know if I'm going to have time to run my own business with the baby and everything."

He slammed the plate back down, suddenly looking offended. "Did you really think I hadn't thought that out? I work at the office from seven to three Tuesday through Saturday, so I figured you could open up shop when I get home, and I could take care of the baby. Justin and Bapi Papi also offered to baby-sit from time to time. And you could be opened whenever you liked on Sunday and Monday. I'm even prepared to give up Driver's Ed so I can spend more time at home. So as you see, we could really make this work."

Hilda looked up at him with hope in her eyes. "You really think so?"

He kissed her tenderly on top of her head. "I _know_ so. And I would've told you all of this earlier if you hadn't gone into a tirade so fast."

"Hey, hey, hey!" Hilda protested. "Those were the hormones talking and you know it."

"I can't wait for those hormones to get back to normal," he said, kissing her on the lips this time. The phone rang, but they didn't hear it, lost in their own little world of dreams and endless possibilities.

"Aunt Betty just called," said Justin, entering the room with his hand in front of his eyes. "She sounded really upset."

Hilda's forehead creased with concern, and she motioned for her son to hand her the receiver. He couldn't see it with his hand blocking his vision, so Bobby pulled his arm away and pointed to his mother before returning to the kitchen with the ruined tamales. Justin handed her the phone and skipped back to his room "Betty?" asked Hilda. "What are you doing up so late?"

There were a few choked sobs on the other end of the line and then she heard. "I couldn't sleep. Daniel moved out last night. It's over."


	10. S05E09: Love Actually

**Ugly Betty Season 5 Episode 09:**

"**Love Actually"**

Rushing through Heathrow Airport, Betty Suarez was a on a mission to stop the man she loved from leaving her life forever. She never expected her life to turn out this way. She never expected to fall in love with her ex-boss and best friend, Daniel Meade.

She quickly passed by the security checks, making her way to the departure gate. Her heart was racing, as she looked frantically for Daniel. She couldn't find him. Her hopes were starting to fade by the second.

She quickly made her way over to the departure desk, where a lady was working behind the desk.

"Did Flight #3347 for New York leave yet?" Betty asked. The woman looked down at her computer, as she checked on the flight status.

"Yes, Miss. It left just a few minutes ago," The woman responded.

Suddenly, Betty felt faint. She couldn't breathe, as she held onto the counter. Her life, her friend and her love was gone and he was never coming back.

"Miss, are you okay?" The woman inquired.

"No. I'm not okay. The man that I love was on that flight," said Betty, softly. "He's gone."

"Oh, I'm sorry," said the woman, sympathetically. "Do you want to book the next flight to New York? You might be able to catch him there."

Betty shook her head, as she tried to come to terms with the fact that Daniel was gone forever. Plus, she has her job. She wouldn't leave anyways. "No, thank you. I think I'll just sit do for a minute, if that's okay."

"Sure," said the woman behind the desk. "Again, I'm so sorry, Miss. I hope that someday you will find love again." Betty put on a fake smile, as she made her way to a row of chairs near the window.

She stared out the window, into the abyss. She watched the planes coming and going, as she began to reflect back to how this started in the first place.

_One week earlier_

"Please don't leave, Daniel. I just need some time. Please don't make me choose you over my job. You should know better than anyone how important my work is to me," said Betty. She reached out to grab his arm, as he headed for the door. She tried to stop him from leaving. "Daniel, please."

He stopped, placing his bag down. "Listen, Betty. I love you. I'm sorry for making you choose.

It's just… I made this move. I changed my whole life to be with you, hoping that someday you would see that I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He paused for a moment, breaking eye contact with her. "Now tonight, I see that you aren't ready, nor will you ever be ready to marry me."

"Daniel…"

"Betty, I want you to have the ring," said Daniel. He placed the box in her hand. She opened it, gazing on the ring that Daniel had planned to give her. Tears fell down her face, as she realized it was her mother's engagement ring. "It would be wrong for me to keep such a thing. Your father gave it to me. He told me to give it to you when the time was right. I really thought that tonight was the right night, but I was wrong."

"Please we can talk about this," said Betty.

"I'm sorry. I have to go," said Daniel. He leaned in closer, trying resist the urge to kiss her. "I can't say goodbye." He pulled away, picking up his bag and walked out the door.

With the sound of the closing door, Betty fell to the floor, sobbing. She stayed there for a few minutes, before she crawled over to her phone that was on a near-by counter. With shaky hands, she dialed Hilda's number.

"Hello!" Hilda said. However, there was nothing but the sound of crying on the other end of the phone. "Betty! Is everything okay?"

"Daniel's gone. It's over," said Betty.

Back in New York, Amanda was sleeping off her eating binge, which was the result of Tyler had left to go back to the farm in South Dakota. Marc found her sleeping on the couch, clutching a bag of potato chips, when he realized that he hated his friend being so miserable. She loved Tyler. She needed to be with him, so while she slept Marc booked her ticket to South Dakota. After booking her flight, Marc packed up a few essential belongings and other necessities.

In the morning, Marc was making breakfast, when Amanda was woken up, by the aroma of Cinnamon French Toast. She had the worst hang-over that she could remember and no recollection of last night's events.

Marc greeted her silently, knowing the familiar look of a hang-over. "Good Morning, Sunshine!"

"Not so loud, Marc," Amanda cringed from the sound of his voice.

"Sorry, here eat up," said Marc, as he placed the plate in her face. She took it and began stuff herself. "You have a plane to catch."

"A plane. How do I have a have plane to catch?" Amanda asked. Marc sat down beside her.

"You want to be with Tyler, don't you?" He asked her. She shook her head, yes. "Well, then as you friend, I took it upon myself to book you on a 10:00 a.m. flight to South Dakota."

"Really?" Amanda murmured with a mouth full of French toast.

"Amanda Tanen deserves to get her fairytale too," said Marc. "I mean, look at Betty. She got whisked off to London and is now dating the handsome, but so stylish Daniel Meade. You deserve to get your man too."

"Marc, thank you," said Amanda, as she placed her plate on the coffee table. She pulled him into her arms, and whispered. "Thank you! You are so right. Why does a not so fashionable woman like Betty have to always get the guy? I deserve to get one too, right?"

"Right…Now, let's go. You have a plane to catch," said Marc. Amanda stood up and rushed off to her bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Marc asked.

"I'm not going dressed like this. I don't think so," said Amanda. She rushed off to her room to search through her closet for something that would be sure to blow Tyler away.

After talking to Hilda, she figured that things would work out eventually. It was just going to take time. They both needed time apart. Betty tried to continue go on living life without Daniel. It was just too hard. So, Betty called into work sick the next day to give herself time to grieve and collect her thoughts.

Betty was home alone in her bed, sobbing. She held a picture of her and Daniel at the London Eye that had been taken a few weeks earlier, before everything went wrong. She left the ring on the table, beside her bed. She glanced at it, as she remembered the meaning of the ring that her mother had told to her, when she was little.

She remembered that the hands meant friendship and companionship, and how every good relationship starts out that way. The crown symbolized loyalty, and how important it is in a relationship. It meant staying true to each other, being there for each other in good times and in bad times. Lastly, the heart meant love. Betty remembered the words of her mother, as she said them out loud to herself, "Love is just love. It is not perfect. It is not simple, but if you let your heart guide you, nothing will stand in the way of finding that one person that you trust with your own life.

Betty closed her eyes, as she continued to cry. She pictured Daniel's bright blue eyes, then heard an angelic voice. "Oh my poor Betty boo."

Betty opened her eyes to see the miraculous sight before her. Her mother was sitting by her side. "Momma, is that you? Am I dreaming?"

"Yes, sweetheart! In a sense, you are right. I am what am what is in your heart. I am here to help you and guide you," said Rosa. Betty pulled her mother into her arms, sobbing harder than before. This time, they were tears of joy. She never thought she would see her mother again until they met in heaven, but here she was. Betty didn't want to let her go, especially now.

"What's wrong, my Betty boo?" Her mother asked, as she stroked her hand through Betty's hair, calming her.

"Betty boo," Betty chuckled. "I remember the day you gave me that nickname. You watched me see the Betty boo song for the talent show. After the show, Pappi gave me flowers, and you hugged me, whispering, "Great job, Betty boo."

Betty's mother smiled. "You will always be my Betty boo. I am so proud of everything that you have accomplished without me guiding you."

"Oh mom! Daniel wants me to choose. How can he make me do that? I can't risk everything that I worked so hard for, just to give it up."

"Betty, Daniel is older than you. His clock is ticking. He just realized that he was in love with her best friend. He doesn't want to waste any more time."

"But mom…" Betty said, with her mother stopping her.

"Do you love Daniel?" She asked, simply.

"Of course, I do. It's just complicated," Betty told her.

"Well, love isn't simple. It can be hard and difficult to hand at times, but with love, you and Daniel can withstand those hard and difficult times. Believe me, I have seen you and Daniel together. You've been through so much together. I don't want to see you lose that."

"Of course I do, it is just complicate." Betty informed her mother. "What should I do, momma? Tell me what I need to do."

"I can't tell you what to do. You are a grown woman. Whatever you decide to do, you need to let you heart guide you and know that I will support you, in whatever decision that you make."

Then Betty's mother faded away, as Betty pleaded for her to return. As she slowly returned back to reality, she was awakened by the ringing of the telephone. She answered the phone.

"Hello, Betty. It's Claire."

_One hour earlier_

"What do you mean, you are Betty are taking a break? I thought things were going so well. Did you propose?" Claire asked.

"Yes mother, I did. She rejected me," Daniel said, in a harsh tone. "She's not ready to be married. She doesn't love me the way that I love her."

"That is the stupidest thing that I've ever heard you say. Betty loves you….or at least she loves the idiot that put her on the spot," said Claire.

"Whose side are you are on?" Daniel asked.

"I'm not taking sides. I have been rooting for both of you. I am not letting you ruin this. You gave her an impossible ultimatum, Daniel."

"Thanks mom, but you aren't really helping. Listen, I am not forcing Betty into anything. I am thinking that it is probably better to take time apart and reevaluate our relationship," said Daniel.

"So…does this mean that you are moving back to New York," Claire asked.

"Yes. I booked my flight for tomorrow morning. I will finish my classes in London online," Daniel told Claire.

Claire wondered, "What about Betty? Are you going to tell her that you are leaving?"

"No. Mom, please promise me that you won't tell her," Daniel pleaded.

"Why aren't you going to tell her?" Claire asked.

"I…just can't say good-bye to her," Daniel said. "Leaving the first time was hard enough." Claire gave a smirk. "So, promise me that you won't tell her."

Claire sighed. "I won't." She crossed her fingers, as Daniel informed her of the details of his departure from London to New York. After exchanging "I Love You's", Claire called Betty, as soon as she hung up with Daniel.

When Claire called, she almost expected to have to leave a message. She was surprised when Betty picked up the phone, expecting that she would be at work.

"Hello, Claire. How are you?" Betty asked. "Have you heard from Daniel?" She sighed. "Of course, you've heard from him. He's your son. How is he?"

"Betty, I'm breaking my son's trust here, by calling. However, I am far more concerned about losing the two of the people that I love most," said Claire.

"What?" Betty was confused.

"Betty, Daniel is leaving London. He's coming home," said Claire. "You need to stop him. You need to tell him that you choose him. He feels bad that he made you choose between him and our job. He loves you so much. He's just angry that you rejected his proposal."

"I understand. I do love Daniel. I do. It's just things were going so fast between us. He shows up in London. Then, all of a sudden….BOOM! Boyfriend and girlfriend," Betty explained. "I mean, I never dreamed that this would happen to me and Daniel. Now, I realize how I am not complete without him. I need him in my life, just as much as he needs me. Do you know the details of Daniel's departure from London?"

"Yes. I do," said Claire. "He is departing London at 9:30 a.m. on Flight #3347, Gate 8, Heathrow Airport."

"Thank you. I will get him back. I promise," said Betty.

"I know you will, Betty."

As soon as Betty hung up with Claire, the phone rang again. This time, it was her boss, demanding her to finish the editor in chief let for B&B for the Valentine's Day issue, by 8:30 the following morning, or the issue would not go on the stands.

Back in New York, Marc and Amanda entered La Guardia Airport. While they waited for Amanda's boarding call. They found out that Amanda's flight had been delayed for two hours, due to maintenance.

Marc breathed a sigh of relief, as he bought Amanda a magazine about South Dakota. He told her that he would be right back, and that he needed to make a phone call to Troy.

Marc, however, wasn't calling Troy. He was calling Tyler to inform him of Amanda's plans of coming to see him.

In South Dakota, Tyler was on the front porch of his house, thinking of Amanda, when his mother came out to let him know that he had a phone call.

"Tyler, Do you know a Marc St. James" She asked.

"Yes, Why?" said Tyler.

"Well, he's on the phone. He wants to talk to you," She informed him. Tyler then went inside and grabbed the phone.

"Marc, Hello….Is something wrong? Is Amanda okay?" Tyler asked, as he wondered why Marc would be calling him.

"Listen, here. Do you have any idea how much you hurt her? You left her in New York to rot, while you go home. What is the matter with you?" Marc said, harshly.

"Marc, it's complicated. South Dakota is home," said Tyler.

"What about Amanda. What is she, chop liver?" Marc asked.

"No….I love Amanda," said Tyler. "Really. I do."

'Then why isn't she with you….okay, all that matters now is that Amanda loves you. You love her. I want the best for my bestie. That is why I'm bring her to you," Marc told him.

"What? Amanda is coming to South Dakota. When?" Tyler couldn't believe it.

"Late this afternoon. Her flight leaves in about an hour. It's a 2 ½ hour flight," Marc said. "You need to be at the airport to greet her. You need to pull her into your arms and tell her how much of a fool you have been and that you don't want to live another day without her."

Tyler sighed, "Thanks Marc, you are a great guy and friend for Amanda to have, I owe you man,"

"You owe me nothing, you owe Amanda."

"Right, I do, well text me when me she departs. I will wait for her," said Tyler.

"I will, goodbye Tyler, and care of my friend. Her life is your hands now."

"I will, Marc, bye."

After hanging up with Tyler, Marc sent Troy a quick text, telling him to come over later, for dinner and a sleep over and a movie. They would make out, and then later make love all weekend.

Then, Marc made his way back to Amanda, who was still reading the magazine that he had bought her. He sat down beside her, as they waited.

"Anything interesting in South Dakota," Marc asked.

"Mm, not yet, but I'm sure that Tyler will show me around, if he'll have me," said Amanda.

"Amanda, I'm sure that he will be thrilled to see you," said Marc.

"I hope you are right," said Amanda. Then, they heard the announcement that informed Amanda that her flight was ready for boarding.

They got up from their seat, exchanging hugs.

"Love ya, Marc, are you best bestie in the entire world," Amanda whispered in his ear.

"Don't mention it, you deserve to be happy," said Marc. Amanda started to cry, as Marc got his handkerchief to wipe her tears. "Have this, a bit of me to take with you."

Amanda smiled, kissed him on the cheek, "I'll call you as soon as I can." Then, Amanda left. She handed her ticket to the attendant, and began to walk on the plane. Marc then watched as his friend's plane flew off into the distance.

Betty had been putting off writing the letter. She hadn't done any writing since the incident with Daniel. She hoped that somehow inspiration would return to her and she would get the letter done in plenty of time.

Now, with the miraculous vision of her mother's wisdom, she knew what to write. She without much sleep, she began writing her editor in chief letter. Betty typed all the way until 7:30 a.m. the next morning. After a quick shower, she dressed in a blue Gucci dress, with flats.

She returned to work at 8:15 a.m., handed her letter over to her boss. She then told her assistant that she had to go for a morning meeting outside the office, when in reality, she was really rushing off to Heathrow Airport, to catch Daniel's flight to New York.

She got into a cab, sped off. She looked at her watch. It was 9:06, when she was a few blocks from the airport. She quickly paid the driver, and ran for it. She rushed through security and a mass of people, until you finally reached Gate 8.

She looked frantically for Daniel, calling his name, but there was no answer. Now, here she sat with a broken heart. She clutched on to the letter that she planned on showing him. With her head down, her hands on her face, she began to sob again. Daniel was gone forever.

Then, she heard Daniel's voice. "You have got to be kidding. I go to the bathroom for five minutes. Now, you are telling me that I missed my flight." She looked over to see Daniel at the departure desk.

"Daniel!" Betty called out, loudly. He turned, as he saw her coming towards him. She quickly ran into his arms.

"Betty!" Daniel said, still holding her in his arms, but pulling back to ask her. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at work? How did you even know that I was here?"

"Your mother told me that you were leaving. I couldn't let you leave without getting your opinion of the letter that I wrote for the Valentine's Day Issue of B&B."

"Betty…" Daniel sighed. She tried to hand him the letter.

"Please let me read this, Daniel," said Betty.

_Dear Readers- _

_ My mother once told me that love is just love. It is not simple. It is sometimes hard and complicated to handle at time, but as long as you have someone to be there, during those times of struggle. That is the true meaning of love._

_ I know Valentine's Day is about buying someone that you love gifts of candy, flowers or jewelry. For me, it's about the person you want to spend it with. You see, the truth is. I recently celebrated my first Valentine's Day with my new boyfriend- also my best friend of almost 5 years. I never thought that we would be in love…or even dating, for that matter, _

_ On this Valentine's Day, we have been dating six months. He asked me to marry him. I said No! Needless to say, he didn't take the rejection well. He wanted me to choose between my work or him. It made me wonder, why this man who loves me so much would be asking me to make this choice._

_ When I told him, I couldn't choose he left. After he left, I realize that he had taken part of me with him. A few days later, I realized that I am not whole without him. I need him, just as much as he needs me. _

_ I remember the advice from my mother, who told me to follow your heart. Let it guide you in your life. So, readers, don't make the same mistake that I did. Let your heart decided what you want. Be with the person you love and want to be with for the rest of your life. _

_ And….if my boyfriend is reading this, I plead that he give me the chance to tell him that I love him and that I'm letting my heart decide that I want to spend the rest of my life with him, if the offer is still open. _

_Enjoy this issue and thank you for reader_

_Editor-in-chief_

_Betty Suarez_

After Betty finished the letter, she lifted her left hand up. She showed Daniel that she put the ring on – her mother's engagement ring, the ring that he had given her. He smiled, touching the ring on her finger.

"You're wearing it," said Daniel

"Well, you did ask. Now, I say yes," said Betty. "The question is….Is the offer still open?"

He kissed her, "Let's go home." Betty smiled, as she pulled him into her arms.

"I love you, Daniel," said Betty, as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you too," said Daniel.

"I'm sorry for not choosing you the first time," said Betty.

"I'm sorry for being an idiot, Betty," said Daniel. "I should have never made you chose in the first place. I support you no matter what you want."

"Well, I support you too. No matter what," said Betty, as he wrapped his arms her. She glances up at him. "Now, what?"

"Let's go home," said Daniel, as he took her by the hand and made their way through the airport.


	11. S5E10: What lies Ahead

Ugly Betty Virtual Season 5 Eppy 10

What Lies Ahead

Daniel and Betty sat in the back of the cab. Betty's small body snuggled up underneath Daniel's arm. His other hand was holding Betty's left hand. As he gazed down at the engagement ring on her finger, his fingers brushed over it lightly.

He could see tears forming in her eyes, as she tried to control her emotions. "Sweetie, are you okay?" A wave of reality washed over her.

"I almost lost you," said Betty, as a tear slid down her cheek. He tightened his hold on her, as she laid her head on his shoulder. "I can't believe how close we came to losing each other forever."

"I know," said Daniel, regretfully. "Thank God that I missed that plane. It would have been the biggest mistake of my life."

"I think the biggest was not saying yes to you in the first place," said Betty. She glanced up at him.

"I shouldn't have surprised you like that," said Daniel. "I'm so sorry. It's not like we've really talked about marriage….or children." His mind returned to how she wasn't yet ready to have children and the pain that it gave him, when he suggested the other day that she might be pregnant. What if she never wanted them? Would she be willing to push aside her career, to build their family? After all, he wasn't getting any younger.

Over the past few months, he had been spending more and more time with his nephew, DJ. It has reignited his desire to be a father. However, he couldn't expect Betty to have the same desire. She was just starting out, with her career.

"I know…but Daniel, I'm so sure that I want this," said Betty. "I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He gave her an endearing smile. "I hope that you will be my wife….someday."

"Someday?" Betty gave him a puzzled look. "What are you saying?"

The cab came to a stop outside of the Dunn Publication building. "We can talk about that tonight when you get home."

"Daniel, what's going on?" Betty said. "You are scaring me." She started to cry.

He brought his face closer to hers, caressing her face gently. "I love you, Betty. You don't need to be scared. "

"You aren't going to leave me?" Betty asked, in a shaky tone.

"Betty, I'm never going to leave you again. I just think there are a lot of things that we need to talk about," said Daniel. His words seemed to bring calm to her, but only slightly. "I'll see you tonight."

With that, he leaned forward and kissed her, before she got out of the cab.

When Amanda arrived at the airport in South Dakota, she looked for Tyler. The airport was not very crowded, so it was pretty easy to spot him.

She rushed towards him. She was so happy to see him that she dropped her bag and threw herself into his arms.

"Oh My God! I'm so glad to see you," said Amanda, as she kissed him. He quickly retrieved her bag.

"I'm glad to see you too," said Tyler. His tone wasn't totally unhappy, but she could sense that something wasn't right.

"Is something wrong?" Amanda asked. "Because I came all the way to South Dakota for you."

"I know. I just didn't think you would," said Tyler.

"I love you, Tyler," said Amanda. "I have never needed anything like I need you in my life."

"I love you too," said Tyler, as he turned and quickly looked behind him.

"I can't wait to meet your family," said Amanda. "Does your mom know about The Meade's? "

"Yeah!" Tyler answered. He looked around again.

"Are you being followed or something?" Amanda asked. "You seem kind of nervous."

"Listen," said Tyler. "We need to talk." He guides her over to a row of chairs, where they sit down.

"What's going on?" Amanda inquired.

"I just don't think this is going to be easy, as we thought it was going to be," said Tyler.

"Nothing is ever easy," said Amanda. "I just think what we have is worth fighting for. It's kind of like thoughs boots that I wanted from The Closet last year. I totally beat Nicole over the head for them, but in the end, despite all the blood that was all over the floor. It was totally worth it."

He couldn't help but to laugh at her colorful example. "Well, if you put it like that."

"I hope you don't mind that I just showed up," said Amanda. "Something doesn't seem right. You are acting weird."

"I'm glad you are here but there are some things that I need to tell you," said Tyler. "There are things that I probably should have told you a long time ago."

"You know you can tell me anything," said Amanda.

"I think what I'm going to tell you is going to make you want to get back on a plane and go back to New York," said Tyler.

"What are you talking about, Tyler?" She stared directly at him.

"Tyler!" A voice called, from the other side of the small airport. The slender, red hair rushed towards them.

"Tracey," said Tyler.

"You must be Alexis," said Tracey, with a smile. "Tyler's sister…brother… whatever?"

"Uh…" Amanda glared at Tyler, and then back at Tracey. "Yeah! I am."

"It's so great to finally meet you," said Tracey, as she looks at Amanda carefully.

"And you are?" Amanda glared at her.

"I'm Tracey, Tyler's girlfriend."

For most of the day, Betty's mind had been on Daniel and the words that he said to her in the cab, earlier. She also couldn't stop thinking about how close they had come to losing each other. After the last few days without Daniel, she realized that a life without him was not something she wanted at all.

By the time, she walked into their flat that evening. She had gone over and over again, the pros and cons of being married to Daniel Meade. While there were many cons, the only thing that mattered was how much she loved him, more than she had ever loved anyone before.

As she came through the door, she was greeted by candles lit and roses scattered throughout their flat, and a table for two. The smells of dinner coming from the kitchen told her that Daniel was cooking.

"Daniel!" She called out. There was silence. For a moment, the candles reminded her of the night that Renee tried to kill her in Daniel's apartment. Just the thought made her heart pound. "Daniel!"

She placed her purse down on the edge of the couch. She called out for him again. "Daniel!" Finally, he appeared in the doorway of their bedroom.

The sight of him instantly calmed her nerves, putting her at ease. "You are home early," said Daniel. He made his way across the room towards her.

"Something smells good," said Betty. He wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He gave her a kiss. "What's all this?"

"Giving you a proper Valentine's Day," said Daniel. "Kind of like a do-over."

"Really?" She said, curiously.

"I still feel really bad for ruining our first Valentine's Day," said Daniel. "So….while I was shopping this afternoon…."

"You went shopping. You hate to shop," said Betty.

"Well, I didn't have much choice, almost everything I own is in New York," said Daniel. "I didn't get on the plane…but my luggage did. I needed something to wear."

"Well, less clothes works for me too," Betty flirted.

He chuckled, as he pulled her closer. "Oh, well. I guess that I can take your gift back then," said Daniel, teasingly.

"Gift?" Betty said. He nodded.

"After dinner, Betty," Daniel smiled. "You can open it, after we talk….about our future."

Amanda knew that coming to South Dakota was a mistake. She didn't want to hear anything that Tyler had to say. She couldn't get out of South Dakota fast enough.

"Mandy…..did you get to South Dakota? How are things with Tyler?" Marc said, happily.

She wiped a tear away; as she tore open a bag of potato chips that she had gotten from the vending machine, in the small airport. "I'm coming home."

"What….why?," Said Marc.

"It doesn't really matter, Marc," said Amanda, as she took another chip from the bag. "I just want to come home and get on with my life."

"Where's Tyler?" Marc asked.

"He's on his farm…with his girlfriend," said Amanda. "Tracey!"

"What? Girlfriend?" Marc asked.

"I didn't even give him a chance to explain," said Amanda. "It doesn't matter."

"You didn't even get an explanation," said Marc.

"No!" Amanda said, bluntly. "Why would I believe anything he had to say? I'm tired of people walking all over me, because I'm so pretty."

"So…it's over?" Marc said.

"Yes!" said Amanda.

"I'm sorry, Mandy," said Marc. "I feel like this is partly my fault."

"It's my fault for falling for him in the first place," said Amanda. "It's just…."

"What…you can tell me?" Marc said, sympathetically.

"I just really thought he loved me," said Amanda. She sighed, as she placed another chip in her mouth. "Enough about me…what are you doing?"

"Going through Daniel's suitcase," said Marc.

"Why are you going through his suitcase?" Amanda asked, curiously.

"Oh! He and the furry one had a fight. He was about to board a plane to come home…." Marc informed her.

"He and Betty had a fight," said Amanda. "It seems to have been a really crappy Valentine's Day for everyone."

"Well, Danny Boy really screwed up… royally," said Marc.

"So, why do you have his suitcase?" said Amanda. "You aren't going through his underwear, are you?"

"No! Of course not. I'm not a freak," Marc put Daniel's boxers back into the suitcase. "For your information, he's staying in London to work on things with Betty. I was just gracious enough to pick up his luggage from the airport, which did make the flight."

"How did he screw up?" Amanda said.

"Well…he proposed. He gave her an ultimatum," said Marc. "Him or her career."

"He didn't?" said Amanda, with a gasp. "I wonder if it's too late to get a direct flight from South Dakota to London. I'm going to kill him. I guess, there is no doubt that Daniel and Tyler are brothers."

"You can retract your claws, Amanda. I think everything is going to be okay," said Marc. "I told him to make her dinner and all will be forgiven."

"You do know that bribing Betty with food doesn't work, as well as it used to," Amanda pointed out.

"True!" Marc said.

Amanda looks up and sees Tyler standing there, in front of her. "Marc, I have to go."

Betty and Daniel were curled up on the couch together. Daniel took the wine glass from her hand and placed it on the coffee table. Betty smiled at him. She couldn't believe everything that Daniel had done to make sure that this evening was perfect.

"Dinner was great," said Betty, as he took her hands. "Thank you."

"You're Welcome," said Daniel. He leaned forward and captured her lips.

As she pulled back from the kiss, she looked into his blue eyes. "So…you wanted to talk?"

"Yes," Daniel said, breathlessly. She kissed him again. He was quickly losing his train of thought as she continued to kiss him. "Betty, we need to talk."

He gave her another quick peck, and he tried to dial back his arousal. Betty could sense the seriousness in his voice. "Uh…ok!"

Daniel took a deep breath, as he tried to gather the courage to find the right words. "Do you really want to marry me?"

"Of course!" Betty said, happily.

"Ok!" He said, simply.

"What's wrong? You aren't having second thoughts."

"Nothing like that," said Daniel. "I love you. Oh God! I love you more…so , so much." He reassured her. "I just don't want you to think you have to say yes, because you think that I'm going to leave you, if you don't."

"Daniel, I do want to marry you," said Betty.

"What about your career?" said Daniel. "I know how important that is to you. "

"I can have both," said Betty.

"What about a family?" Daniel said, boldly. He looks at her.

"A family?" Betty gave him a puzzled look.

"Yeah," said Daniel. "I have to be honest, Betty. The other day, I did think you might be pregnant….when you didn't drink. I was really happy about that and the fact that we could have a child together. When you said that, you weren't ready. I was really disappointed."

"I didn't say that I never wanted them," said Betty, as she could see how distressed he was about the subject.

"I know that now," said Daniel. He sighed. "After that….in addition to your hesitancy to marry me when I proposed that same night, I think that's why I lost it."

She knew Daniel well enough to know how much children meant to him. She took his hand. "I see."

"I'm starting to realize that I'm not getting any younger. I'm going to be 37 this year," said Daniel.

"You have plenty of time," said Betty.

"My father died when he was 59 years old," said Daniel. "My grandfather was even younger than that." The image of Daniel performing CPR on his father flashed through her head. She remembered the image she saw in screen in Time Square and how Daniel attempted to save his father's life.

"You are not your father…or your grandfather," said Betty, reassuringly.

"I know…but if there is one thing I learned from Molly, you can't put off the things that are important to you," said Daniel. "No one knows how long they have."

"Daniel…I" Betty said, as she gripped his hands tightly.

"I'm not saying that we have to have a family tomorrow," said Daniel. "I just need to know that you want that too."

She smiled. "Of course, I do. I'm sorry that I made you think that I didn't want that."

"Really?" said Daniel.

"Do you even think I would have gotten into a relationship with you, if I didn't? I know you," said Betty. "I know how you felt when you found out DJ wasn't your son. I saw how it affected you. I also see how much you love spending time with him."

Daniel's eyes lit up. "So…you're in favor of a family with me?"

"I am. I just have a request," said Betty.

"I'm listening," said Daniel.

"We wait until after we are married and the magazine has been out launched for a year," said Betty. "Then, we can start working on that."

"That's sounds perfect," said Daniel. He lean forwards and kisses her.

In the midst of their kiss, Betty's cell phone begins to ring. They both look at it. "I'll have to call them back," Betty giggles, as Daniel pulls her onto his lap. The call goes to voice mail. Minutes later, it rings again.

"You better get it," said Daniel. "It could be the magazine."

"My work is never done," said Betty. She picks up the phone. "It's Justin." She answers.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Tyler stood there before Amanda, with his hands in his jacket pockets. "Tyler!" said Amanda. "What are you doing here?"

"I couldn't just let you leave," said Tyler. "Not without giving you an explanation."

"I really have no interest in what you have to say," said Amanda, as she looked away.

"Amanda, I love you," said Tyler.

"You have a funny way of showing it," said Amanda, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I gave my heart to you and you stomped all over it. Now, I can see why you were in such a hurry to get back here."

"I didn't intend to fall in love with you," said Tyler. "At the time, I met you. I was going to break things off with her and stay in New York."

"It didn't seem like you broke things off with her," said Amanda. "She thought I was your sister."

"Well, I did," said Tyler. "I finally did it."

"You did?" said Amanda.

"That's one of the reasons that I came back," said Tyler. "It's been on and off with me and her for years. When I met you, everything changed."

"Why didn't you just tell me?" said Amanda.

"I was afraid that you would get upset," said Tyler.

"I've known you for almost a year and you never told me. Of course, I would be upset that you didn't tell me that you had a girlfriend," said Amanda. "Or whatever she is.""

"When I left for New York, I told her that I needed time to get to know my family," said Tyler. "I needed to find out who I was….who they were. I never knew that I was going to find you also."

"So…it's over," said Amanda.

"Yes!" Tyler said. "I told her everything. I told her about you."

"How did she take it?" said Amanda.

"Not well," said Tyler.

"So, what happens now?" Amanda asked. Tyler moved closer to her.

"Well, I think it's time that you met my other family," said Tyler. "I mean, if you want to."

"Sounds like this relationship is kind of serious," said Amanda, with an affectionate look.

"It is," said Tyler. He leaned forward and kissed her.

Betty and Daniel took their seats on the plane. They made it to the airport, with only moments to spare.

"I didn't think we were going to make it," said Betty, as she leaned back in her seat, in the first class section on the airplane.

"Two trips to the airport in one day," said Daniel. He chuckled. "I'm just glad that we are together this time."

"Did you blow out all the candles?" Betty asked.

"Yes, I did," said Daniel. "Did you call Mr. Dunn and tell him what was going on?"

"Yes," said Betty. "He knew that I was going to New York for the birth of Hilda's baby. It's just sooner than expected."

"My mom said that she will have a car waiting for us," said Daniel. "She also said that it was important that she meet with me and Wilhelmina. It seems there is some problem with Meade."

"Is it bad?" Betty asked.

"I don't know, "said Daniel. "Anyway, let's change the subject. I would rather focus on positive things." He leans over and kisses her. Then, he sits back in his seat.

"Okay!" She smiles.

"Do you think we are going to make it in time?" Daniel asked.

"There is no way to know. The baby could be here in an hour…or 24 hours," said Betty. "I really hope we make it though."

"You are going to be an aunt again," said Daniel. "I know how much that means to you."

"Well, you are a pretty terrific uncle too," said Betty. "We are going to be married soon. You will be this baby's uncle."

"Soon?" said Daniel.

"Yeah!" said Betty. "I was thinking that we should make this official soon." He put his hand over hers.

"I think so too," said Daniel. He smiled.

"I can't wait to tell everyone," said Betty, as she looked down at the ring on her hand. "I'm going to be Mrs. Daniel Meade."


	12. S5 E11: The more things change

**UB Season Five **

**Eppy 11: The more things change**

The maternity ward was calm and relatively quiet for the time of night, save for the gentle murmuring of voices and the occasional baby cry. The nurse at the desk stifled a yawn and wondered vaguely if anything extraordinary ever happened on the late shift. Her thoughts were quickly answered as a petite Latina sprinted down the long corridor, her winter coat flapping behind her like wings. She tripped over her own scarf, which had come unraveled during her sprint, and lost the grip of her purse, which quickly spilled its contents on the disinfected floors. Leaving her belongings behind, she approached the desk.

"I'm here…to see…Hilda Talercio," she said between gasps.

The nurse quickly reviewed the names on the patient list. She perused it once again then shook her head. "I have no Hilda listed as one of our patients. Are you sure you have the right hospital?"

The panting girl adjusted her glasses and stared at the nurse in abject horror. Then she shot off, barely pausing to gather her spilled purse. On her way out, she almost barreled over a beleaguered man shuffling slowly down the hallway. "Betty, where are you going?" the man wearily asked her.

The woman didn't stop, but shouted over her shoulder as she ran, "Hurry up, Daniel. We're at the wrong hospital!"

Daniel sighed, glanced longingly at one of the waiting room chairs, and followed his fiancée. The nurse smiled sympathetically at his receding figure. People always got so nervous about the birth of a baby. She hoped the couple found the right hospital in time.

Betty spent the majority of the cab ride over to the correct hospital blaming Daniel for the mistake. "You're the one who read the text from Justin to the last taxi driver."

"Did you ever think the cabbie was the one confused and not me?" he shot back. "For God's sake, Betty, it's six in the morning. Nobody functions properly at that time." He let out a giant yawn as if to prove his point and leaned back into the cab's uncomfortable seat, his eyes slowly drooping close.

Betty softened as she viewed her fiancé's tired form. She laid a hand on his knee. "I'm sorry. I'm so excited for this baby that I keep forgetting we were just on a plane for 12 hours. You rest. I'll let you know when we're at the hospital."

Daniel didn't respond; he was already out cold. Betty shook her head in amusement and planted a kiss on his cheek. Even in his sleep, Daniel smiled back.

The ride over was uneventful, and all too soon Betty was rousing Daniel from his deep slumber and ushering him into the maternity ward. She knew she had the right hospital when she saw Ignacio's pacing form in the waiting room. A mixture of joy at seeing her father and anxiety for the baby's welfare flooded her body. "Papi," she cried, falling into his arms.

"_Mi'ja_," Ignacio murmured into her hair. He pulled out of the embrace to gaze at her worriedly. "You're exhausted!"

Betty waved her hand in dismissal. "I'm fine. How's Hilda? Was the baby born yet? Where's Justin and Bobby? Can we see them? Was there—"

Daniel stepped forward to save Ignacio from the onslaught of questions. "Nice to see you, Ignacio. Congratulations on becoming a grandfather again."

Papi heartily shook his hand. "Thank you, Daniel. It is wonderful to see you, too." Then he placed a hand on both of their shoulders. "Baby Joseph was born two hours ago."

"Joseph?" Betty repeated, clapping her hands. "Another boy!" She paused in her merriment when she noted Papi's grim expression.

"He's in intensive care."

Hilda knew she should be grateful that Justin was there reading the latest issue of _Vogue _to her and that Bobby was next to her on the bed, tenderly stroking her hand, but all she wanted was to see her new baby. And as far as she was concerned, the doctors were being most unhelpful, telling her things like, "it's only for precaution," or "we'll know in a few days." She shut her eyes, remembering the elation she had felt when she had held Joseph Roberto Talercio for the first time and then the sudden terror as the nurses shunted him off for a plethora of tests. She felt a sob catch in her throat, and a solitary tear trickled out from under her closed lid.

"Don't cry, _Mamacita_," a familiar voice clucked.

Hilda's eyes flew open. "Betty?" She couldn't help but beam as she surveyed the bedraggled woman in front of her. A new wave of emotion swept over her as she realized her sister must've been up traveling all night just to get to her in time. Afraid she was going to start crying again, she turned the situation into a joke. "Ay yi-ay! Look at you! Did you get hit by a bus or something?"

Betty rolled her eyes but smiled. "Nice, Hilda. I could say the same about you."

Hilda knew she was an unkempt, sweaty mess after giving birth, but she hadn't felt like sprucing up. "Yeah, yeah, come here and give me a hug."

Her sister willingly obliged. Suddenly she pulled back. "Oh no," she cried.

Hilda looked at her in alarm. "What's wrong?"

Betty slapped her forehead, almost displacing her glasses. "We left the baby's present on the plane."

Hilda shook her head. "You almost gave me a heart attack. It's all right, _Chica._ You can buy Joseph a butt-load while you're here." Her eyes darkened somberly. "If he survives."

Betty placed a consoling hand on her sister's trembling shoulder. "I spoke to the doctors, and they said it's not uncommon for premature babies to be placed in intensive care. Joseph will be fine."

"See? Isn't that what I've been saying the whole time?" Bobby fixed his wife with an exasperated scowl, but his relief was palpable. _Thank you_, he mouthed to Betty.

Betty nodded then turned her attention to Justin. "My God, every time I see you you've grown. Are you shaving yet?" she teased.

Justin enveloped her in a bear hug. "I'm glad you could make it, Aunt B."

Betty was about to ask Justin a banal question about school when Hilda's pointed question interrupted her. "Where's Daniel? Is he with Papi?"

She glanced back at Hilda in surprise, wondering why Hilda's voice was so urgent. Then she followed her sister's gaze to the engagement ring sitting on her left hand. Betty couldn't suppress the giant grin spreading across her blushing face. "Yeah, he and Papi are talking."

Justin also noticed the direction of his mother's gaze. "Omigod." He grabbed Betty's left hand and scrutinized the diamond ring. "It's kinda small, Aunt Betty. Is this _Tiffany_? _Cartier_?"

"No," Hilda answered quietly. "It's Mom's." Justin let go of his aunt's hand in surprise.

Betty wondered if Hilda was possibly jealous that Papi hadn't given the ring to her. She stuffed both her hands in her pockets, subconsciously hiding it from view.

Sensing the change in his wife's mood, Bobby rose from his spot next to Hilda. "Come on, bro," he said to Justin, "let's go congratulate Daniel." If Justin suspected anything, he didn't let on and dutifully followed his step-father out of the room.

Betty sidled over to Hilda but stopped herself from sitting. She knew if she sat down she might not get back up. Hilda was absently picking an imaginary fuzz from her blanket, her eyes purposefully avoiding her sister's. Betty cleared her throat nervously, hoping to breach the discomfiting silence with _some_thing. "Listen, Hilda, I'm sorry Papi gave the ring to me and Daniel and not you and Bobby—"

"Like I care?" snapped Hilda.

"Well, you seemed upset that—"

"I just gave birth, my newborn is in intensive care, and you think I'm upset over a stupid ring?"

Betty felt her defenses rise. "It's not stupid. It belonged to Mama."

"Whatever, Betty. I know it's hard to believe, but this isn't about you."

Betty recoiled as if she had been slapped. She felt like the biggest idiot. What was she thinking springing her and Daniel's engagement right then and there? Hilda was in physical and mental pain, and here she was flashing her ring, expecting to make her sister's problems magically disappear! She should've taken off the engagement ring before entering the room. Feeling she had done enough damage for the moment, she turned to leave. "I'm going to get some sleep. You should rest, too."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." Sarcasm pervaded Hilda's every word. She crossed her arms peevishly over her chest.

Betty trudged wearily from the room. Her body suddenly seemed ten times heavier, and she knew it wasn't just because she was tired. Guilt had come to rest his weighty burden on her shoulders.

Daniel didn't remember much of that early morning. Somehow through his exhaustion he had managed to convey to Papi that he and Betty were getting married, and then Bobby and Justin had appeared out of nowhere to offer him congratulations and hearty handshakes and hugs. When he had finally disengaged himself from the joyous party, he spotted Betty traipsing towards him, her brow knotted with worry. He knew without asking that there'd been some sort of altercation with Hilda, but he also knew better than to bring it up. Betty would tell him when she was ready.

They had struggled to get their now insanely heavy suitcases to Papi's house in Queens where they immediately collapsed on the sofa, too drained to make it up the stairs to bed. And that's where Daniel was now: lying across the length of the couch, his fiancée's lithe form nestled next to him, her head resting peacefully on his chest. He hated to wake her, knowing how upset she had been at the hospital, but he had to get to _Meade Publications _and see to the "emergency" his mother had mentioned on their last phone call.

He carefully attempted to extricate himself from Betty without disturbing her sleep. Unfortunately, it did not work, and in a tangle of limbs, they both unceremoniously rolled to the floor. Betty shrieked from the impact and stared up at the handsome man who was now on top of her. "I'm sorry," said Daniel earnestly.

Betty suppressed a smirk. "That's quite all right, Mr. Meade. But next time make sure I'm awake _first_."

He grazed her forehead with a kiss and helped her to her feet. Bleary-eyed from sleep and from nearsightedness, Betty squinted at her surroundings. "What time is it?" she finally asked through a yawn.

Daniel reached for her glasses lying on the adjacent coffee table and handed them to her. "It's after twelve."

"_What_?" she squawked. "I have to get back to the hospital." She made for the front door then paused to consider something and gingerly sniffed her clothes. "I need to freshen up first," she muttered, as if this was a most annoying inconvenience.

"Betty, calm down. Hilda's not going anywhere." On further deliberation, Daniel realized this was probably a tactless thing to say given the circumstances. His fiancée seemed to think so to, for she fixed him with one of her patented disapproving glares. He raised his hands in acquiesce. "All right, bad wording, but you know what I mean. You'll have plenty of time to visit with her. I don't know how long I'll be at _Meade, _but I promise to come over as soon as I'm done."

Betty pulled him into a hug. "I know, and I appreciate you being here." She abruptly pushed him away. "But I have lots to do and no time to waste." She started pounding up the stairs. "Race you to the shower." With an impish grin, Daniel chased after her.

It was with much reluctance that Daniel entered the _Meade _building. The strained tone with which his mother had spoken to him on the phone indicated that this was an urgent matter, and with everything going on in his life he wasn't sure he could handle another serious, potentially disastrous, problem. He had considered that maybe something had gone wrong at _Mode, _but considering Wilhelmina's ambition and long-awaited desire to be Editor-in-Chief, he couldn't see her driving the magazine into the ground. With that notion cast aside, Daniel was out of ideas for what was going on. Whatever it was, the coming conversation was bound to be unpleasant.

He took in a much-needed deep breath and entered his mother's gargantuan office. Before Daniel could say a word, Claire glided gracefully over to her son and wrapped him in a warm embrace. "How are you?" she murmured.

"I'm…all right." Daniel was a jumble of emotions. He couldn't tell where his happiness over being engaged to Betty ended and his anxiety over Hilda's baby and this important meeting began. His heart fluttered and his stomach flip-flopped from a million different things. "I have so much to tell you."

Mrs. Meade squeezed his hand and led him over to her desk. "I'm sure you do." She gestured to her bar. "Would you like a drink?"

"_Mom_," Daniel began, but she cut him short.

"I can offer you tonic water or ginger ale."

"Oh." Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm good for now."

Claire nodded and started pouring herself a tumbler of tonic water. "I like to pretend it's gin and tonic," she said ruefully.

"Mom, Betty and I are officially engaged."

Claire poured water all over her desk, but she ignored the mess. She fixed him with wide, unblinking eyes. "You are?" she finally managed to whisper.

He couldn't hide his Cheshire grin. "Yep. We're getting married as soon as we can."

Claire beamed, clapped her hands and laughed giddily. "It's about time!"

Daniel wasn't one to blush, but he crimsoned under his mother's glowing countenance. It was not very often she showed so much approbation for his actions. It occurred to him that Betty was usually the reason Claire was pleased with him. But then why should he be surprised? Betty had the uncanny ability of bringing out the best in people.

Claire smothered him in kisses and another bear hug. "I can't wait to see my grandchildren. They're gonna be so beautiful."

Daniel's flush deepened, but he was grinning "Mo-_om_, we're not even married yet. Don't get ahead of yourself."

Her excitement waned as the reason for their meeting suddenly reoccurred to her. "It's too bad I have to dampen the mood with my depressing news."

Daniel gulped, visions of the white hallways of _Mode_ entering his mind. "What's wrong?"

Claire was now vigorously wiping down her desk from the water spill. "What's wrong is _Meade Publications _hasn't fully recovered from the economic crisis. We can no longer support deadweight magazines. I've talked to your sister, and we both agree that several publications need to go to help lighten our financial load."

Daniel felt his shoulders slump in relief. "Is that all? Really, I don't care what magazines we have to dump—"

"I know you don't, dear, but as partial owner of the company you need to help in all formal decisions."

"I trust your judgment. Just lead me to whatever papers I need to sign and let's get this unpleasantness over with."

Claire surveyed her son and finally shrugged in defeat. "Very well. But I will need your help in informing the magazines of their termination. Alexis can't enter the States, or she would do it with me."

"Yeah, she always has been fond of ruining other people's lives," said Daniel acidly. A glare from his mother silenced him.

"I realize discipline isn't one of your strong suits, Daniel, but this needs to be done. The sooner the better."

"Well, once the necessary paperwork is taken care of, why not do it this afternoon? I really need to get this over and done with so I can go be with Betty and her family."

His mother smiled fondly at him. "It's so refreshing to see you so attentive to your fiancée. I can't tell you how happy I am that we're going to be part of the colorful Suarez family." She shoved a heavy manila folder into his hands. "This is the paperwork. I know you're in a hurry, but please at least _pretend _to read it all before you sign it. It's the typical mumbo jumbo about unemployment benefits, etc."

Daniel began to carelessly initial the papers. "So what members of the Meade family are we getting rid of?"

"The cooking magazine _The Healthy Chef, Player Magazine—_thank God—and _MYW._" Claire looked at him surreptitiously over her the rim of her glass.

Daniel felt his stomach clench and his heart rate accelerate again. _MYW, _the brainchild of Sofia Reyes, the cruelest, prettiest cut-throat bitch he'd ever had the misfortune to screw. What sort of cosmic joke was this? He was just entering a new chapter of his life with Betty, and Fate had to drop his ex-fiancée—the first woman he ever fell in love with— back into his life? On the plus side, he was about to fire her and cancel her magazine. Perhaps Fate was kind after all. Aloud he said, "That's ridiculous. _MYW's _first issuehad some of the best sales ever for _Meade. _Why would you and Alexis get rid of it?"

"After all the hype and hoopla of the first issue, the magazine has done remarkably poorly. And when a magazine costs more to produce then it earns in revenue, it's time to pull the plug."

Daniel wanted to shout gleefully, "It serves Sofia right!" but he kept his decorum and merely made a noncommittal grunt. If his outward cool didn't fool his mother, she sagely didn't say anything. With trembling hands he signed the papers that would successfully destroy Sofia's dream. Funny. He always thought revenge was supposed to feel better than this.

Betty arrived at the hospital with a bundle of baby paraphernalia. "My goodness, _Mi'ja,_" Papi exclaimed upon seeing her. "Did you buy the entire store?"

"Almost," Betty huffed as she set the packages down on an empty waiting room chair.

Ignacio scrutinized his daughter for a brief moment. Where was that frumpy, unkempt girl with her mismatched wardrobe? In her place stood a beautiful, confident woman in a black pinstripe business suit, a splash of color in her red silk shirt and matching scarf and shoes. "So business must be going well if you can afford all these things."

Betty grinned broadly. "Everything is going great in London." Her smile disappeared, and she sat down next to her presents. "But things aren't so good over here. Hilda is jealous of my engagement ring."

Ignacio raised a skeptical eye brow. "I can't see it."

"She is," insisted Betty. "She got really angry yesterday when she saw that I was wearing it." She displayed her finger for Papi to illustrate her point.

Overcome by a flood of memories, Ignacio smiled tearfully at the ring. He took a moment to compose himself then said, "I know my two girls, and I'm _positive_ Hilda had no interest in the ring. I asked her after both she and Santos and she and Bobby got engaged."

"You did?" Betty felt a weight lifting.

"Yes, and both times the answer was 'no.' It's not her style." He cupped her chin in his familiar hands, worn gruff by years of chopping vegetables and scrubbing pots and pans. "But this ring is just perfect for you."

Betty felt an unexpected tear roll past her glasses and down her cheek. "Thank you, Papi." She pulled him into a giant hug. "This ring means so much to me. It's like Mom is still a part of this family, and she's right here," Betty indicated her ring, "approving of Daniel's and my engagement."

Papi stroked away her tears. "Your mother would've loved Daniel."

If Rosa Suarez had seen Daniel at that moment it's doubtful whether she would've been too fond of him. He was practically bouncing out of his seat with a nervous energy unbefitting of an exec who was letting hundreds of employees go. As he waved goodbye to the Editor-in-chief of _Player, _he felt his anxiety increase tenfold. Sofia and her staff would be coming in next. What would she do when she saw him sitting there? Would he be able to control himself and not chew her out in front of her peers? Would he be a vindictive, heartless bastard? Would she be her usual manipulative self? Would it be awkward? Worse—and possibly the one fear that Daniel couldn't face—would they still have sparks?

When Sofia entered the room with her subordinates, Daniel felt a sudden jerk in his ribcage. As his gaze rested on her gorgeous face, masked with a veneer of diffidence, his heart throbbed. It took him a moment to realize he wasn't feeling lust or love, but a deep-rooted anger that threatened to erupt like a simmering volcano. How dare she parade into the room and not show a bit of concern for what was going on? His blue eyes bore a hole into the side of her skull, but despite his persistent glare, she would not look at him.

Fortunately for him, Claire did most of the talking. She tactfully explained the financial situation. When she announced their plans to terminate the magazine, Daniel instinctively held his breath. He waited for the fireworks that he was sure would follow. Sofia could be a little spitfire when she wanted to, and he knew she wouldn't take the destruction of her brainchild without a fight.

But he was wrong. Sofia meekly bowed her head, her luscious dark curls cascading across her face, and murmured, "We sort of suspected as much." Her coworkers nodded in consent. She glanced up, and for the first time since entering the room, her dark eyes locked with Daniel's. "How long do we have?"

Daniel was rendered mute by her gaze. Her eyes, once so bright with confidence and vitality, were dull, lifeless and…sad. It was a good thing his mother was still in control of the meeting, because Daniel's thoughts were tangled like a ball of yarn. "We're letting each of the terminated magazines publish a final issue," Claire said. "That way you can go out with a bang, if you want."

Sofia shrugged indifferently. "We already had most of next month's issue planned. I doubt we'll change it this late in the game." She grimaced. "Besides, what is there to celebrate? We made it just four years. That's nothing in the publication world."

"We're sorry, Sofia." Mrs. Meade honestly meant it. "I hope you realize it's nothing personal."

Sofia glanced at Daniel then quickly looked at her hands. "I'm sure."

Daniel squirmed in his seat. Emotions he couldn't name were pulsing through his body. There were so many things he wanted to say and do, but he was overcome by fear—fear that he might do something he would later regret. Suddenly, he bolted to his feet. "Well, I think this meeting is adjourned," he managed to get out around the giant cotton ball that was lodged in his throat. "Mother? You have anything to add?"

Claire looked at her son in surprise, but she shook her head. "If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to contact us." She extended her hand for Sofia to shake, but some of the Latina's pride was still intact. She stared at Claire's proffered appendage with a condescending sneer then turned to go.

Daniel felt something snap. "Shake my mother's hand," he barked.

Sofia whirled around in shock. "I'm sorry?"

He took a shaky breath and made every effort to control his voice. "I thought we were all professionals in here. When a person offers their hand, you take it."

Sofia's cheeks reddened, but she silently shook Claire's hand and turned to go a second time. Daniel brushed past her curvaceous form and stormed irately down the hall ahead of her. He was almost to the elevator when he heard her voice. "Daniel, please."

The way she said his name penetrated him like a bullet and hurt just as much. Despite the array of volatile emotions surging through his veins, he turned around and confronted her. "What?"

She shrunk back at his abrupt tone, but she quickly recovered. "We can't end it this way."

Daniel knew she didn't mean her magazine. "What do you want me to say?" he demanded through clenched teeth. "You deceived me, advertised our breakup on national television, and then used our entire relationship as fodder for your magazine. Pardon me if I'm not exactly thrilled about seeing you again."

She considered him for a moment. "You didn't have anything to do with _MYW_ being cancelled?"

He bristled. "Of course not! I had nothing to do with the decision. I've been in London helping another company's fledgling project." As he thought about Betty and her magazine, he felt some of his anger dissipate. He could never think of his fiancée for long without feeling blissful and content.

"I didn't think you were capable of such cruelty, but I had to know. You always were a bit of a marshmallow." She spoke fondly, but her words still stung.

"Gee, thanks," he sarcastically drawled.

Sofia was silent for a moment as she deliberated over something he had said. "This magazine you're working on, is it the one Betty Suarez is Editor-in-Chief of?"

"You've been keeping tabs on Betty?"

"Of course," she spoke like a proud mother. "I've been following her every move since she left _MYW_. I've read all of her blogs and even sent her a few messages—anonymously, of course." Her tone grew somber. "I knew she was still angry at me for what I had done to you." Her expression was as stoic as when she had first entered the meeting, but Daniel could see the remorse brimming in her dark eyes. She forced a smile and asked, "So how is she?"

Daniel wanted to say, _She's fine. thanks, _but somehow the words got jumbled in his head. Instead he blurted out, "Betty and I are getting married."

Sofia blinked rapidly in shock. "You're…in love?"

"No, I just get engaged to people I have no feelings for," Daniel snapped. "Oh, wait. You're the one who does that!"

Sofia bowed her head in assent. "If it makes any difference, I _did_ have feelings for you."

"That makes it worse. How could you do anything like that to a person you care about?"

"It was very difficult."

"Yet you managed _very_ well."

Sofia's eyes pooled with tears. "If I could take it all back, I would. I thought all I wanted was a career, and I was determined to succeed no matter what the cost. But after losing you and now losing my magazine, I'm not so sure…" She laughed sardonically. "I guess this is payback for my mistreatment of you, huh Daniel?"

There was an inexplicable lump in his throat, and no matter how many times he swallowed, Daniel couldn't dislodge it. "When I heard that your magazine was getting the axe, I wanted to gloat and maybe even throw a party. But after you walked into the meeting, something happened to me. All the hurt and anger and resentment I've held against you these last several years is gone." He shook his head in disbelief. "Now, I just feel sorry for you."

He made to leave, but Sofia caught his arm. "Just answer me one thing, Daniel." Her voice quavered, and he knew he wouldn't refuse her request. "Are you and Betty truly happy?"

Despite the dismal mood of his companion, he couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Yes, we are."

Sofia heaved a giant sigh. Before today, Daniel would've thought she was just being melodramatic, trying to get a knee-jerk reaction from him, but now he wasn't so sure. "Then my punishment is complete."

With the stack of baby goodies balanced precariously in her arms, Betty tiptoed into her sister's room. Bobby had told her Hilda was sleeping, and she didn't want to awaken her. Her plan was to leave the gifts as a peace offering and then come back later after Hilda had had time to mellow. But as she maneuvered around the hospital bed, one of the packages caught on the guardrail, and try as Betty could to aright the unstable pile of gifts, they all toppled unceremoniously to the floor.

Hilda immediately bolted upright in bed. "Where's the fire?" she shrieked in her half-asleep state. She shook her head to clear her addled thoughts then focused her gaze on Betty. "What the hell are you doing?" Betty felt her defenses rise, but before she could reply, Hilda gasped. "Are all of these for me?"

Betty stooped to pick up the scattered presents. "Well, more specifically for _Joseph_." She rose and handed her sister a small basket. "But I got Mama a little something, too."

Hilda looked at the basket of lavender bath salts and body lotion. "Oh _gracias, Chica_."

Betty laid the rest of the gifts on Hilda's lap then sat by her feet. "Bobby tells me Joseph's gone up in weight. That's good."

"Yep, the Doctors are pleased with his progress. I'm gonna go down to see him later."

"Can I come?"

"Of course. I want you to." They exchanged watery smiles, and then looking for a way to interrupt the heartfelt moment before she cried again, Hilda scanned the items on her lap. "Geez, you got like every toy on the planet for him."

"What can I say? My nephew is going to be a very active boy."

Hilda looked at her hopefully. "You think?"

"I _know_."

Hilda cleared her throat. "Listen Betty, I'm sorry I was all uptight yesterday. I hope you realize it had nothing to do with Mom's ring."

"Papi was trying to tell me that." She chewed her bottom lip. "But are you sure you're okay with me and Daniel being engaged?"

"Why would I mind? I love the guy. I've been waiting for you two to hook up for _years._"

"I just thought you might be upset that I'm stealing your thunder. After all, it was _all _about you and Joseph til I showed up with this ring on my finger_._"

Hilda threw a plush puppy at her head. "Yeah, yeah, and we're always competing to be the center of attention."

Just then, the door opened and a familiar head peaked in. "Can I come in?"

"Daniel!" Betty and Hilda cried in unison. Daniel gave them both a quick hug and pulled up a chair.

"How are you doing, Hilda?" he asked with genuine concern.

"I'm fine, but tell me about you and Betty. When did you propose? What did you say? I want details!"

Daniel and Betty exchanged amused looks and then launched into their engagement story. Hilda listened with rapt attention, occasionally interjecting an inappropriate comment. Betty couldn't help but think how right this all felt: enjoying the company of her two best friends in the entire world. It was true that their lives kept changing-for better _and_ for worse-but their love for each other was constant and never-ending. Just as it should be.


	13. S5E12:DoubleShot of Happinessvengeance

**UB Season 5 Eppy 12**

**Double Shot of happiness and Vengeance **

Sofia Reyes was on her laptop at New York Public Library as she need to do some research to get back her former fiancée' Daniel Meade, who canned her and her magazine after 4 years of working her butt off. She need justice for herself. It was then that a light bulb struck as she realized, if she couldn't have Daniel no one would.

She was searching for the one person, who would have a chance at keeping Daniel and Betty apart, before they mutter the words "I do." Sofia Reyes using her Double Jeopardy card and find the man who capturing Betty Suarez's heart, before Daniel step into the picture. She typed the name into Google. Matthew Hartley.

Instantly, she found just the information she was looking for and just where to find him.

Back in Manhattan, there was a celebration going on at the Talerico home. For more reasons, than one. Today, the family welcomed home the newest member of the family, Baby Joseph and the engagement of Daniel and Betty.

With a sound of an opening champagne bottle, Bobby poured a glass of champagne for himself and Hilda. Bobby handed the bottle to Daniel, who poured a glass for himself, his Betty and his mother. Daniel handed the bottle over to Marc, who promptly drank from the bottle, before pouring a glass for himself and Troy, before their shared a kiss.

followed by a glass for each of their guests: the whole Suarez family, Claire, Marc and Troy.

Everyone smiled as the other couples proceed to follow them like Daniel and Betty, Hilda and Bobby, who then kissing their child on their head, then Justin and Austin, and Elena and Ignacio. Daniel cleared his throat to get everyone attention as he said,

"Love, is what brought us here today. Love that brought into the world. Love that started, as a friendship and bloomed into so wonderful that I could never imagine it happening to me," said Daniel, as he gave Betty a loving glance. "I want all of you to know, that the love that is in this room will forever grow and remain in our hearts. Cheers to us and the love that brought us all together."

Everyone cling their glasses. Betty was clearly moved by his speech. She felt her face warm, as she looked at Daniel, who couldn't seem to take his eyes off her. She walked over to Baby Joseph. She glanced down at him and wondered, if she was ready to be a mother. Was she ready to bear the responsibility of bringing a life into this world.

She felt Daniel's hands on her shoulders, as he came up behind her. "Bobby and Hilda, are really lucky? Aren't they?" said Daniel.

"I bet that Claire is eager for us to give her a grandchild," said Betty. Daniel gently turned her around.

"Look at me," said Daniel. He tilted her chin upwards. "The answer is yes. She is ready to be a grandmother. But…Betty, there is no rush. I am willing to wait until you are ready."

She smiled, followed by a quick kiss. "Thank you." She kissed him again. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Daniel. "There is nothing is that is ever going to stand our way our love, I promise you that." Daniel kissed her and pulled her closer.

With the sounds of her family celebrating, Betty let out a sigh.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Daniel asked.

"I just hate that we have to leave tomorrow," said Betty. "It was good, coming here being with my family…our family… you, This will always be my home."

"Our home," said Daniel. "But you know, we do have a life in London. You are Editor of your own magazine. It's your dream. We have to make our own life." Daniel informed her.

"One day, do you think we'll come back to New York?" Betty asked.

"Probably. Someday," said Daniel. "I don't think we could stay away forever. But…we will come back when we are ready."

"Good," said Betty.

"Now, let me see the bright smile of yours and this double shot of happiness!" said Daniel. Her face lit up in the smile that he loved so much. A smile that had changed his whole life, almost the moment he saw it, four years earlier.

Betty jumped with joy and said, "Right, let's celebrate." Betty took Daniel's hand, as they jumped back into the party, and began dancing with the rest of their family.

After the party, Troy and Marc went back to Marc's apartment to have nightcap. Later, Troy ended up spending the night watching Project Runway. They ending making love, then sleeping into each other's arms.

"I love you," Troy whispered. Marc pretended to be asleep, not sure what to say back to him.

Meanwhile, Daniel and Betty return back to the hotel, where Daniel had made arrangements for a special romantic evening, to celebrate their engagement. After all, he still felt like he owed her for the whole mess he made during Valentine's Day.

When Betty opened the door of their hotel suite, she was stunned by the candlelight and long road of roses that stretched throughout the room and their bed, along with the plate full of strawberries and whipped cream on the side.

Betty turned to Daniel, giving him an affectionate glance. "Daniel Meade, I think you are trying to seduce me."

He then placed kissed on her lips, and began trailing them down her neck. "Believe me, if I were, you would know it." He gave a gentle laugh.

"Oh…I really think you are trying," said Betty. She took a deep breath.

"Is it working?" He murmured, between kisses.

"Uh…Huh," said Betty. Then, Daniel swept Betty off her feet and carried her over to the bed. He paused momentarily and looked into Betty's eyes, as he placed her on the bed. Then, he began kissing her, as they slowly began to remove each other's clothing, one piece at a time.

Between breaths, they told each other how much they loved each other. All the while. Betty's mind was grateful that she had taken her birth control, even though she loved Daniel and wanted to be his wife. She wasn't quite ready to be a mother, just yet. She knew that Daniel understood this, which made her love him even more.

. -

Sofia Reyes couldn't help but gloat, as the pieces of her plan were beginning to come together. She had located missionary Matt Hartley, who was stationed in a small village that she couldn't pronounce in South Africa. The only challenge was getting a message to him that woman he loved was marrying her former boss.

She sent an email to Matt's missionary supervisor, but she was told that it could take weeks to get a hold of him. Regardless, Sofia left a message to be given to Matt, as soon as possible- the message being that Daniel and Betty were engaged, living and London.

She could only hope that Matt would come and save the day, ruining Daniel and Betty's relationship for good. Then, she would have Daniel Meade all to herself again and Betty would be far away.

First though, Sofia knew that she had to start playing nice with Daniel and Betty. After all, you know what they say "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."

In South Africa, Matt Hartley was teaching English to some children in a small hut, where he was interrupted by a messenger, who handed him an envelope, which was meant only for him. He promptly signed for it, and opened it.

_Dear Matt Hartley,_

_ It has come to my attention that you have not received the following news. Betty Suarez is engaged to be married to her former boss, Daniel Meade, this coming month. They are living in London, where the wedding will be held. If you seek more information, please contact me. _

_Sofia Reyes- New York City_

_ After reading the letter, Matt was stunned. How could Betty throw away everything that they had….for Daniel?_

He was puzzled. Betty had always assured him that nothing was going on between her and Daniel, especially after the incident at the U.N photo shoot. Now, things looked different. They were getting married. Matt knew there was no way that he was going to stand by while Betty married that idiot.

Matt realized that he had been a fool for leaving her in the first place. He loved her. He still did. He had to get her back. Maybe Sofia Reyes could help him figure out just how to do that.

Once his class was done, Matt contacted his supervisor and told him that he had completed his mission. He had another mission at home, which was getting back to the woman he loved, Betty Suarez.

A few days later, Daniel and Betty made it back to their home in London, as they started making their engagement official in London.

During their flight home, they had both decided that they would get married in London. After all, New York wedding would attract too much publicity. They didn't want that. They wanted it to be, just about them and how much they loved each other.

They sent out wedding announcements to all their family and friend in New York, even Wilhelmina. Keeping everyone updated on the wedding plans, since they had deceided they would get married sooner, rather than later.

There was so much that had to be done. Christina had been making trips to London to work on Betty's wedding dress, which she was designed and sewing as her wedding gift. She was also designing the maid of honor gown for Hilda and her own bridesmaid's gown. Daniel has asked DJ to be his best man, and his mother and sister to stand by his side.

There were many disagreements about the wedding details, since Daniel was very much into the details of their big day. The one thing they did agree on was that Marc and Amanda would not be singing at the wedding, nor the reception.

Another thing that was certain was that Daniel and Betty were very busy- Betty with her editor in chief duties and Daniel with his schooling. It was getting harder and harder for them to relax and spend time alone.

One night, Daniel was preparing dinner, as a surprise for Betty. He wanted so much to spend some time with the love of his life.

His cell phone rang. He saw that it was Betty, as she picked up. "Hey, honeybee. Where are you? I'm making dinner."

"Oh Daniel. That's so sweet," said Betty, with a smile. "I'm sorry…but can you leave a hot plate for me. I have this thing to work on for the wedding. I promise I'll be home soon."

"Alright…but I miss you," said Daniel, as he stopped in the middle of cutting up some vegetable for a salad.

"I miss you too," said Betty.

"I love you," said Daniel. "I'll see you soon."

"Love you, too," said Betty. She hung up the phone, and went back to her computer, where she had been working on her letter from the editor, for the upcoming issue. She was also was working on her vows, simultaneously.

As she sat there, she knew that she wanted to come up with something new and creative for both works. Nothing was coming to her. She had promise Daniel she would be done, before they met with the priest next week.

Then again, she had a deadline for the letter. She was torn between a rock and a hard place. She needed some fresh air to get her mind flowing again.

She walked out onto the patio of her office. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She thought of ideas for her vows. When she heard footsteps come towards her. She thought it might be Daniel bringing her dinner. After all, it would be just like him to surprise her.

Betty smiled, about ready to bounce on her fiancée. She grabbed a hold of him, kissed him passionately. But…something was wrong. There was something very different and off about this kiss. She opened her eyes to see Matt Hartley standing right in front of her.

"Well, thanks for the welcome, Betty," said Matt.

Marc had been avoiding Troy for the past two days. He was trying to cover up by making excuses that he had to work late, due to the cut staffing cuts at MODE. While this was true, Marc needed time to think about whether or not Troy was the one.

He never imagined that he would be in this situation. He needed his Mandy. So, he picked up the phone and called his bestie, hoping that she went to stay with Tyler on his farm, in a state…far, far away.

"Hello," said Amanda.

In a really bad cowboy accent, Marc said. "Why, Hello there cowgirl! Do you mind if I steal you away from your cowboy for a second?"

"Marc, it is so good to hear your voice," said Amanda. "What's new?"

"Well, Daniel and Betty are getting hitched," said Marc.

"Hitched, no way.!," said Amanda

"Yes, way, Daniel tied up a heffer," said Marc. They both laughed together, as the laughter subsided.

"Actually, it's old news," said Amanda. "Claire called and told Tyler. She wants us all the fly to London together for the wedding. Who would have thought it? Betty and I are going to be related. She's going to be….like my sister."

"Who would have ever thought that would happen?" said Marc.

"So how are things with you and your boy toy?" Amanda asked.

"Well, I think I might be in love Mandy," said Marc.

"Really, well, who have thought, us having boyfriends, and in love. So did you tell him?" said Amanda.

Marc said, "That is just the thing I don't know how to."

"Well, like my wise friend said," said Amanda. Marc smirked, knowing that friend was him. "Actions speak louder than words. You find the right time…and the right way. Give it time."

"Right," said Marc. "So….. when you and Tyler are getting hitched…. and when are you coming back home?"

"The answer to both questions is soon," said Amanda, as she saw Tyler standing in the doorway. "We just have to get a few things figure out on this end. Listen. I have to go. I'll talk to you soon."

Amanda and Marc hung up. He was happy to know that things were coming to a full circle. He then called Troy, who said he would come over in about 30 minutes, when Marc said that he had a surprise for him.

Back in London, Betty step back from Matt. She wiped her mouth off, after kissing Matt, who she thought was Daniel.

"Matt, what are you doing here?" said Betty.

"I'm here to congratulate you on your engagement," said Matt. "I will have to say that I was a bit surprise though. You told me that nothing was going on between the two of you."

Betty informed him. "Back then we were just friends, but things changed, Matt."

"I know. I understand that you and I are over…and in the past. You and Daniel obvious have a future together."

She cared about Matt but now she was in love with Daniel. So Betty smiled and said, "Thanks Matt, So friends then?"

Matt smirked as he spread out his arms, hoping for a "friendly" hug reply, "Of course, we are."

Then, she gave him a friendly hug that he was looking for. After the hug, Matt left Betty to finish her work. He had a meeting to attend with Sofia, who was meeting him outside the London Eye, to inform her of the status of the plan to break up Daniel and Betty.

"Did it go well?" Sofia inquired.

"Your plan worked better than you hoped it would. How about you?," said Matt.

"Tell me about your end first. We'll work on my end tomorrow," said Sofia, with an evil laugh. Then, Matt and Sofia went to the London Eye to talk about the start up of the next phase of their plan to get the people they wanted back….at all costs.

Back at Marc's apartment, he was setting up for a special romantic evening with Troy. He was planning dinner and dessert. Also, he had picked up a small box, that was a token of his affection for Troy.

Within 10 minutes, there was a knock on the door. Before he answered, Marc quickly checked himself out in the mirror, hoping that he looked handsome for Troy. He took a deep breath and answered the door.

There was Troy, holding some roses and a bottle of wine. Then, Marc gave him a kiss, as a thank you for the gesture.

As Troy entered the apartment, he took the rose from Marc. He placed them in the vase in the middle of the table, while Marc opened the wine. As he arranged the flowers, Troy couldn't help but notice the small box on the table.

He looked at Marc and smiled, as he watched Marc pour them some wine.

"Thank you for inviting me, Marc. This is lovely. This must be a special night," said Troy, as he took the wine glass offered to him. "You really went all out, haven't you?"

"Well, it is my pleasure," said Marc. "And yes…this is a special night for us. Some wine. Some dinner…then dessert…and a little talk later."

"Sounds like a plan to me," said Troy.

After dinner, they had a little small talk about their day. Then, Marc looked at the box and then back at Troy. Troy could see Marc was very anxious and nervous.

"I am sorry, Troy, but I have to be honest with you, but I have been avoiding you since you told me you loved me," said Marc.

"Oh I see," said Troy. He hesitated. "I guess I am sorry for putting you under pressure say the word but don't worry about it, Marc. It's okay if you are not comfortable saying, but I am You at least show it. That's good enough for me." Troy told Marc.

"I am making up for it now, and I want you to know that you feel the same way for you, Troy…. and like everyone says 'Actions speak louder than words.' that why I am giving to this token," said Marc.

Marc handed the small box to Troy. "I'm letting you I am ready to take the next step in our relationship."

Troy open the box thrilled to see keys to his apartment. Overfilled with joy, Troy threw himself on Marc, as they both kissing as they told each how much they loved each other.

In London, it was late when Betty finally came home from work. She came home to find Daniel sprawled out on the couch with a notepad and pen on his chest. He was fast asleep. He looked so peaceful. Her heart filled with warmth. He made her feel so loved. She couldn't wait to marry him and to start their life together. Officially.

As she took the notepad off of his chest, she wondered what he had been working on. She looked down at the writing, scribbled down on the page. It read.

"_I love you, Betty. You are my best friend and the best thing that ever happened to me. I promise to always stand by you, as you reach for all your dreams….."_

She wiped her eyes, as she felt tears forming in her eyes. As she watched him lay there peacefully, she realized that she wasn't afraid anymore or concerned about anything. She had her Daniel now, that was all that matter to her.

Betty leaned down and kissed the forehead of her future husband, which woke him. He gave her a sleepy smile, as he laid eyes on his future wife.

"You are finally home," said Daniel. "If you are hungry, your dinner is in the microwave."

"That was so sweet of you, Daniel," said Betty. "But….you know what?"

"What?" said Daniel, as he recognized the look in her eyes.

"I'm not hungry for food right now," said Betty. "I want you instead."

Daniel's face lite up, as Betty grabbed a hold of his hand, leading him into the bedroom to show him how much he meant to her….and this time, Betty had no concern about whether or not, she had taken her birth control.


	14. Chapter 14

**Ugly Betty Virtual Series**

**Eppy 13- Expecting the Unexpected**

* * *

After an amazing night, Betty opened her eyes. Her gaze immediately fell upon the gorgeous man, sleeping beside her. There was part of her that still couldn't believe that he wanted her, loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

In less than 4 weeks, she would be married to her best friend. She would be Mrs. Daniel Meade and they would officially begin their lives together, as husband and wife. It was something that she was sure that neither of them could have even imagined, 4 years ago. To be honest, neither of them could have imagined it, even a year ago.

As Betty laid there next to her future husband, she wondered what the future would hold for them. There were so many questions that brewed in her head. What would their life look like in 4 years from now? Then, she realized that it really didn't matter. She was content in the unknown, whatever lied ahead for them. She was okay with it. She was sure that they could handle anything that came their way.

Then, it occurred to her. She remembered something that totally forgotten about last night. In the heat and passion of their encounter when she got home, she had neglected to take her birth control pill, which she usually always took at the same time every day.

She then tried to slip out of bed to take the missing pill, when she felt an arm wrap around her waist, keeping her from going anywhere. Betty giggled, as she felt the warmth of Daniel's breath on her neck, followed by the feeling of his lips on her skin.

"Good Morning," Daniel said, with seductively. "And where do you think you are going, Ms. Suarez?"

"You can't have any energy after last night, Mr. Meade," said Betty.

"Sounds like a challenge," said Daniel, as Betty turned into the circle of his arms, facing him. He really could stay here all day. "Believe me. I have plenty of energy left when it comes to you." He smiled.

"I love you," said Betty, suddenly.

"I love you too and I can't wait to marry you," Daniel whispered into her ear.

"Well, I can't wait to marry you either," said Betty, as she gives him soft kiss. Their foreheads rest against each other, as he wrapped his arms around her tighter.

"How about we stay right here all day?" said Daniel.

"You know we can't do that," said Betty. "There are huge list of things that have to be done at work….for the wedding…and you have classes to attend."

"Just for one day," Daniel pleaded. "The next few weeks are going to be just crazy. Both of our families will be here in three weeks to help get ready for the wedding. I know we won't get much time alone with everyone around."

"Well, it will just be that much better when we get to the honeymoon," said Betty, with a giggle. "Where are we going anyway?"

"It's a surprise," said Daniel.

"Can I have a hint?" said Betty. "I'm not going to know what to pack."

"Nope. I am not going to tell," Daniel said, affectionately.

"You haven't made any plans, have you?" Betty teased him.

"I didn't say that," said Daniel. "Anyway, I think clothes are not going to be needed. It's not like we are going to be leaving our room."

"Daniel," said Betty. She blushed.

"You are so cute," said Daniel, giving her a quick kiss.

"What am I going to do with you?" said Betty. Daniel chuckled.

"Well, I can think of a few things," said Daniel, as he proceeded to pull her closer, as he kissed her neck, and pull the covers over them.

"Daniel, I'm going to be late for work," said Betty, with a giggle.

"Well, I guess it helps that you are the boss," said Daniel, as he continued to distract Betty, with his wandering hands.

"Ok! I guess another 30 minutes…uh…wouldn't hurt…" said Betty, breathlessly, as he kissed her neck.

* * *

A few days later, Amanda and Tyler prepared for their trip back to New York. Tyler had a feeling though that Amanda wasn't going to be able to make their flight, as he heard the sounds of vomiting in the bathroom.

He got up and walked over to the door. He softly knocked to make sure she was okay. "Amanda, are you okay?"

"Uhhhhh," said Amanda, "Yeah. I'll be right out."

"You don't sound good," said Tyler. "Open the door. Do you need me to get you anything?"

"I'll be out in a minute," said Amanda, from behind the door.

"I can reschedule our flight," said Tyler, from the other side of the closed door. "It doesn't sound like you are any shape to be flying." He heard Amanda's cell phone ring, as it sat on the nightstand. "Amanda, your phone is ringing."

"Oh! Answer it. It's probably Marc," Amanda mumbled.

Tyler quickly made his way across the room, and picked up the phone.

"Amanda's phone," said Tyler, as he listened to the moans and sighs of Amanda's misery.

"Well, hello there, Tyler," said Marc. "How's South Carolina?"

"Hello, Marc. By the way, it's South Dakota…not South Carolina," said Tyler, as he closed the suitcases. He knew there was no way they were going to be going anywhere today.

"Just calling to see what time you two will be coming in," said Marc. "Troy and I are going to meet you at the airport."

"I think we are going to have to postpone our trip," said Tyler.

"What?" said Marc.

"Amanda's sick," said Tyler.

"That's impossible," said Marc. "Amanda never gets sick."

"Well, she's in the bathroom throwing up her breakfast as we speak," said Tyler.

"Let me talk to her," said Marc. "She's probably just hung over."

"We haven't been drinking. I'm a recovering alcoholic…remember?," Tyler reminded him.

"Oh yeah," said Marc. "Maybe, she ate too much. Did you upset her again?"

"No! Everything is great," said Tyler.

"Let me talk to her. I will find out what's going on," said Marc

"She won't even let me in," said Tyler, as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

"She must be sick then," said Marc. "I guess there is a first time for everything."

Amanda finally emerged from the bathroom. She looked like hell.

"Could you call my mom and tell her that we will be there in a couple days?" said Tyler. "As soon as this flu…or whatever blows over."

"Sure!" said Marc. "But you need to get Amanda back to New York as soon as possible. I need help getting things together for the trip to London for Daniel and Betty's wedding." Suddenly, Amanda ran back into the bathroom and slammed the door. "What was that?"

"Amanda just got sick again," said Tyler. "Listen. I have to go."

"Tyler!" said Marc.

"What?" said Tyler.

"Do you think that Amanda could be pregnant?" said Marc.

"Marc…I have to go," said Tyler, as he hung up and wondered if it was possible.

* * *

The following week, Daniel looked down into the jewelry case, while he waited for his and Betty's wedding rings. He glanced down and saw a bracelet that he knew she would love too.

She knew that she hated it when he spoiled her, but figured that she better get used to it. After all, he wanted to spend the rest of his life, spoiling her.

When the sales girl returned with the wedding rings, he asked to see the silver bracelet with an infinity symbol on it, from the case. She handed it to him.

As he glanced at the delicate bracelet, he sensed someone watching him. He turned to see Sofia Reyes standing near-by.

"It's very beautiful," said Sofia.

He handed it back to the clerk. "I'll take this also," said Daniel to the clerk. The clerk took the bracelet, rushing off to wrap it.

"It's not your usual," Sofia remarked. "That must be a very special gift for someone very special." Daniel wasn't going to give her answer. His life with Betty was none of her business.

"What are you doing here, Sofia?" said Daniel, as he cringed at his former fiancée unexpected appearance.

"I just happen to see you come into the store," said Sofia. "I thought that I would say hello."

"I meant in London," said Daniel. Not that he really cared.

"Business," said Sofia. "I have a really great opportunity here. I am probably even going to be moving here."

"Well, I'm sure that we won't be having dinner," said Daniel.

"Daniel, I'm just trying to be nice," said Sofia.

"What do you expect, Sofia?" said Daniel. "We haven't exactly talked since the day you broke our engagement on national television."

"I'm sorry, Daniel. I was a fool," said Sofia. "Can we start over? I want to make it right."

"There is nothing to start over," said Daniel, as he looked around for the clerk. "I've moved on." _Why was that clerk taking so long?_

"I know. I heard about your engagement to Betty," said Sofia. "Congratulations."

"Uh…" said Daniel. He gave her a suspicious look. "Thanks." He didn't know if she was being genuine or not. His guess was not.

The clerk returned with Daniel's purchase. He took the wedding rings from the counter. "That must be a gift for Betty."

"It is," said Daniel. "Just a little pre-wedding gift for the love of my life." He emphasized. "….and our wedding rings."

"When is the big day?" Sofia asked, curiously, even though she was well aware of the time and place of the upcoming wedding.

"About 3 weeks," said Daniel. He looks down at his watch. "I'm sorry. I have to go. I have to meet Betty for lunch."

"It was lovely to see you Daniel," said Sofia, as she watched Daniel make a quick and hasty exit.

As she watched him leave, she looked down in the case to see an identical bracelet that Daniel had purchased for Betty.

The clerk walks over. "I would like to purchase that bracelet, please," said Sofia.

* * *

Bobby was in a battle that he knew he couldn't win. He tried to pull the zipper up. It just wouldn't go any further.

"What's taking you so long?" said Hilda, as she stood there in the gown for Betty's wedding. "It's not rocket science."

"It's not zipping… up," said Bobby, as he continued to try.

"It has too," said Hilda.

"Well, there isn't enough material," said Bobby. "I think you need to lose a few more pounds." Hilda spun around and glared at him.

"You did not just tell me that I need to lose weight," said Hilda.

"Calm down," said Bobby. "You just had a baby. Plus, I'm not complaining at all."

"Why did Betty have to pick now to get married?" said Hilda. She heard the baby cry from down the hall. "Justin, could you please check on your brother?" She yelled down the hall.

"Betty and Daniel deserve to be happy," said Bobby.

"I know," said Hilda, as she got a little misty eyed. "I just can't believe my little sister is getting married."

"Before you know it…Chipmunk will have some little chipmunks of her own," said Bobby, as he saw a tear run down his wife's cheek. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just wish Mom could be here," said Hilda. "I wish she could have met Joseph. I wish she could have seen us get married…and I wish that she could have met Daniel and been here for Betty's wedding."

"She knows," said Bobby. "She's watching over all of you. She was a very special lady."

"She hated you," Hilda chuckle.

"Well, I wasn't exactly a good example back then," said Bobby.

"I think she would have liked the man you've become though," said Hilda. "I am so lucky to have you."

"I do my best," Bobby grinned.

"You are," said Hilda, as she wiped a tear away. She shook her head, as she tried to stop her tears. However, they just kept falling harder and faster. Bobby wrapped his arms around Hilda. "I just wish that the whole family was back together. London is so far away. I miss Betty. I miss having my sister here."

"You can call her anytime you want," said Bobby.

"I know. It's just London is so far away," said Hilda. "Emails, video chat….it doesn't make up for having the real person there. Daniel and Betty are going to make this brand new life together….an ocean away. They are going to have children that we are only going to see during the holidays and an occasion summer vacation. "

"I'm sure they will come back some day. New York is still their home, Hilda," said Bobby.

"I hope so," said Hilda, as she dried her tears.

* * *

Daniel swiftly walked through the Dunn Publication office, headed for Betty's office- her lunch in one hand and a Tiffany's bag in the other.

As he approached her office, he glanced at the name plate on her door. Betty Suarez-Meade. He just grinned.

"Did we get married and no one told me?" said Daniel, jokingly. Betty looked up from her work and gave him a big smile.

"Yeah!" said Betty. "I was surprised too. Mr. Dunn had it replaced this morning. He said there was no need to delay the change, since that will be my name in the next issue." He shut the door, placing her lunch and the bag on her desk. "I didn't think I would see you this soon."

"I couldn't stand to be away from my beautiful fiancée for another minute," said Daniel. He made his way around to the other side of her desk.

She quickly popped up, giving him a kiss. "You are in a good mood." She wrapped her arms around his neck, giving him another kiss.

"I'm just happy to see you too," said Daniel, between kisses. "I brought your lunch for you." He nodded toward the salad on the edge of her desk. "I figured you wouldn't have time to get away. You sounded swamped on the phone."

"You are amazing," said Betty. "And yes…. I have so much work. I don't think I'm ever going to see the light of day."

"Do you need some help?" said Daniel, looking down at the pile of paperwork on her desk. "I have a little bit of time before I meet with Mr. Dunn."

"I'll be fine," said Betty. "You are meeting with Mr. Dunn?"

"Yeah," said Daniel. "He said he had some business to discuss about the company…and since I'm a consultant. I guess, that would be my job."

"I guess, it would," said Betty, with a giggle. "Now, I think I can handle most of this on my own. I'll call you, if I need you."

"Okay!" said Daniel, planting another kiss on her cheek, before he prepared to let her get back to work.

"Oh…did you make the hotel reservations for our family for the wedding?" said Betty, as pulled him back gently.

"Done," said Daniel.

"Well, at least something is done," said Betty. "Now, it seems that Hilda needs some alterations to her dress. So…I think Christina is going to need to get here a few days early for alternations. I'll need to get her a plane ticket."

"I'll take care of that after I get out of class," said Daniel.

"I also got a call this morning and they told me that there is a conflict with the location of the wedding," said Betty. "They said we were going to have to find another location for the wedding."

"What? How can that be? The wedding is in 3 weeks," said Daniel. "Do you want me to call them?"

"No. I can handle it," said Betty. "It's just it seems like everything that can go wrong, has. It's like the universe has turned on us…or something."

"We can find another place to get married. I don't care, if I marry you in our flat or right here in this office….just as long as I marry you," said Daniel.

"Well, that might be our only option," said Betty, playfully.

Then, she looked into his eyes and then glanced down at the bag from Tiffany's. "Did you pick up the rings?" said Betty, with a huge smile on her face.

"As a matter of fact, I did," said Daniel, charismatically. He took the rings out of the bag, opening the case.

Betty gently touched the rings with her fingertip, and sighed. "I can't believe that soon, we are going to be married."

"Not soon enough for me," said Daniel, as he pulled her closer. "I have an idea."

"What's that?" said Betty, smiling sweetly.

"Let's just elope. Your name is already on the door. I think that's a good excuse to make it official….right now," said Daniel, as he quickly took her hand and tried to pull her towards the door.

She giggled. "We can't do that. Our family would kill us."

"They would never have to know," said Daniel.

"Yeah…like we could keep it a secret," said Betty. "For the rest of our lives."

"It just feels like 3 weeks is eternity," said Daniel. He took a deep breath. "I want to start our life together right away."

"It will fly by," said Betty. "I promise."

"I got you a gift," said Daniel, as he removed the gift wrapped box from the bag on her desk. "Just a little pre-wedding gift."

He placed it in her hands. "Daniel, that's so sweet," said Betty, as she carefully un-wrapped the beautifully wrapped box. She placed the torn gift wrap on her desk. She opened the box, which revealed the silver bracelet with the infinity symbol. "It's beautiful." She glanced at him, before removing it from the box.

"As soon as I saw it, I knew that I had to get it for you," said Daniel, as he helped her place it around her wrist.

"It's too much," said Betty.

"No, it's not," said Daniel, genuinely. "It could never be too much. I love you and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life, spoiling you…loving you." He kissed her hand. "Building our future."

Then, she kissed him. "I love you too." As she pulled away, all she could manage to do was look in his eyes, standing there in silence, enjoying the moment together.

Through the window, they were being watched.

* * *

As Matt made his way to his meeting with Sofia, he kept thinking about the moment that he had witness between Daniel and Betty, as he placed the bracelet on her wrist and the way she kissed him, repeatedly. It was pretty obvious that Betty was happy and in love with Daniel Meade.

At the moment, Matt was feeling a twinge of regret for getting tangled up in Sofia's plan to sabotage Daniel and Betty's big day. However, he had helped put the wheels in motion. Now, there seemed to be nothing to do but sit back and wait for the wreck that was bound to happen.

Matt looked through the crowd, until he saw Sofia sitting at a corner table. He made his way through the crowd, sitting down in the seat across from her.

"Is everything taken care of?" said Sofia.

"Yes!" said Matt. "The final paperwork will probably take a few days. The money should be transferred over by the end of next week."

"Great!" said Sofia. "However, that really doesn't give us much time."

"It's the best that I could do," said Matt.

"You could do better," said Sofia.

"Did you see Daniel this morning?" said Matt.

"I did," said Sofia. "He wasn't very happy to see me….but he will come around. I also paid off the venue to cancel their reservation for their wedding, saying there was a scheduling conflict. Now, they are without a place to get married."

"Is this really a good idea?" said Matt. "I mean, I just saw Daniel and Betty while I was meeting with Mr. Dunn. They looked like they were very happy. I don't think a scheduling conflict is going to keep them from getting married."

"I thought you wanted Betty back," said Sofia. "You and Betty belong together."

"I do love Betty," said Matt. "I made my choice though. I am the one that left and she obviously found happiness with Daniel."

"Betty and Daniel are too different," said Sofia. "We are saving them from making a huge mistake. I belong with Daniel and you belong with Betty. It's that simple, Matthew."

"I don't think it is going to be that simple," said Matt.

"Listen. By next week, we are going to own Dunn Publications," said Sofia, adamantly. "Once we take over, we are going to have 2 weeks to break up their wedding."

"What if I changed my mind?" said Matt.

"You can't change your mind," said Sofia, as she handed him an envelope. He opened it. Inside, there were photographs of him, kissing Betty.

"How did you get these?" said Matt.

"I'm not stupid," said Sofia. "I had to have some insurance. You are famous for not following through with a plan."

"You tricked me," said Matt.

"Matt, you gave me exactly what I wanted," said Sofia. "You are such a fool."

"I want out of this," said Matt. "I'm not going to help you break them up. I know a thing or two about broken hearts. If Betty is in love with Daniel, then she needs to be with him. I want her to be happy."

"Well, you can't get out of this," said Sofia. "You are stuck. If you tell Betty or Daniel about the plan, I will show Daniel the photos. The wedding will be off. She will find out about your betrayal and probably never speak to you again." She paused. "However, if you stick to the plan, you and Betty will be able to be together. She never has to know what you did."

"But I will know," said Matt.

"The choice is yours," said Sofia. "If you tell her, she will be broken hearted, twice over. If don't, then she will be broken hearted once…but you can be there to pick up the pieces. You deserve to be happy. You will have your Betty back…and I will have Daniel back. It's just a matter of time."

It was in that moment that Matt was sure that he was in over his head.

* * *

The following week, Daniel and Betty came into the office together. At Daniel's meeting with Mr. Dunn, he had been informed by Mr. Dunn that he was retiring and that Dunn Publication had been bought out. The new owner wanted to meet with everyone on Wednesday.

It had made Betty at nervous wreck for most of the week, as she waited for more details of the new owners and what their intentions were.

"I just can't believe this is happening," said Betty, as she took the coffee cup from Daniel's hand. He slipped into the chair beside her. "It just doesn't make sense. Why would Mr. Dunn retire so suddenly?"

"Well, the publishing business is rough right now," said Daniel. "He found a way out. I have no doubt that they made it worth his while. At least, that's the impression that I got."

"He didn't say who it was," said Betty

"He was very vague about the whole thing," said Daniel. "I don't know. There is just something feels off about it."

"What about jobs?" said Betty. "Are people going to lose their jobs?"

"He assured me that wouldn't be happening," said Daniel, reassuringly. "It's going to be fine, sweetheart."

"That's easy for you to say. My magazine is the newest. It would be the first to go," said Betty.

"If it comes to that, we will just go back to New York," said Daniel, un-phased.

"You make it sound so simple," said Betty.

"It is that simple," said Daniel, as he took hold of her hand, and squeezed gently. She smiled, happy that she had him for support. "Your job is the only thing keeping us here."

"You have your classes," said Betty.

"I can do that back in New York," said Daniel.

"Well, I guess we will cross the bridge when we have too," said Betty. "So, did Mr. Dunn give you any idea who the new owner was?

The door of the conference room opened. Betty couldn't believe what she saw before her. It was Sofia Reyes, looking stunning, in a tight, revealing black dress.

"Good Morning!" said Sofia. Everyone started taking their seats. "My name is Sofia Reyes. I am one of the new owners of Dunn Publications." Every muscle in Betty's body tensed up, as she looked over at Daniel, who seemed just as shocked at the recent revelation. She suddenly felt like she and Daniel had targets on their forehead and Sofia was aiming right for them.

* * *

The following day, Betty was ordered to Sofia's office. She prepared herself for anything because with Sofia. She knew that anything could happen. Betty knocked on the door of Sofia's brand new office door. She spun around in her chair, seeing Betty standing there.

"Good morning, Betty," said Sofia. "Please come in."

Betty was unsure whether she wanted to enter. "You wanted to see me," said Betty.

"Yes. I wanted to meet with you yesterday," said Sofia. "You left so suddenly, after the meeting."

"Well, I wasn't feeling well," said Betty. "Daniel took me home. I'm sorry that I wasn't available to meet with you."

"Aw…That's Daniel. He's always taking care of the women that he loves," said Sofia. The sight of Sofia made Betty feel ill again, perhaps it was all the perfume that she had on. Her stomach continued to churn, from the stench. "Daniel seemed to have really pulled himself together. He has really turned into quite a capable man…makes me wonder how I could possibly have let him slip through my fingers."

"Well, your loss is my gain…I guess," said Betty, as she brushed her hair out of her face. Betty's bracelet caught her attention.

"That's a beautiful bracelet," said Sofia. "I have one just like it." Sofia showed Betty the silver bracelet on her wrist.

"It was a gift from Daniel," said Betty, as she wondered whether this was a usual gift for the women that Daniel was engaged to. She quickly dismissed it.

"He's so thoughtful," said Sofia. "How are the wedding plans going?"

"I don't think you called me in here to talk about wedding plans," said Betty, as she hovered near the door.

"Please have a seat. We need to discuss the future of your magazine," said Sofia, as she gestured to the chair in front of her desk. Betty takes a seat.

"Are you shutting us down?" said Betty, bluntly.

"No!" said Sofia. "Why would I do that? Your publication has potential. I just think you need a little help to get things going."

"Oh!" said Betty.

"I have chosen a co-editor to work with you," said Sofia.

"And what if I don't want a co-editor?" said Betty.

"Then, you will be out of a job," said Sofia. "You really have no power here."

Betty felt herself cave for a moment. She sighed. "I guess, it wouldn't be all bad. There is so much work, enough for more than one person. Plus, I'm getting married in less than three weeks. Things have just been crazy."

"I can only imagine," said Sofia. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I guess," said Betty, as she braced herself.

"I just can't imagine why you would be getting married now. You have your whole future ahead of you. You could do so many things in front of you, Betty. Why are you settling?"

"I'm not settling for Daniel. I love Daniel," said Betty. She stood up.

"Are you sure?" said Sofia.

"Of course, I'm sure," said Betty, adamantly. "Who do you think you are asking me that?"

"Well, I had some security footage brought to my attention yesterday," said Sofia. "It was you and your former boyfriend, Matt Hartley, kissing in your office."

"What?" said Betty. She shook her head. "That was a mistake. I thought he was Daniel."

"It sure didn't appear that way," said Sofia. "Maybe you should postpone the wedding….think things over. Maybe you should explore your feelings for Matt. It looks like there could be something there. He obviously has feelings for you."

"Matt and I are friends. That was a mistake. He knows that I love Daniel," said Betty.

"Betty…I really think you should call off the wedding," said Sofia. "Especially after what happened with you and Matt, it's not fair to Daniel."

"I'm not going to call off the wedding," said Betty.

"I would really hate for Daniel to find out that his precious Betty has been having late night flings with her old boyfriend in the office," said Sofia. "You know. The truth always comes out."

"I'm sure you would be more than happy to tell him," said Betty. "I told you. It's not like that." She held her ground. She was not going to let Sofia win.

"Well, you and Matt are going to have to work together from now on," said Sofia. "Lots of late nights. It's not going to look good at all."

"What?" said Betty.

"Matt Hartley is your new co-editor," said Sofia.

* * *

The following morning, Betty walked into her office to see Matt waiting for her. She let out a sigh.

"Good Morning!" said Matt, as he watched her make her way around to her side of the desk, sitting down. For a few moments, Betty just sat there, checking her email. Furious, clicking at her mouse, deleting emails….

"Are you trying to ruin my life?" said Betty, directly. She was mad.

"Ruin your life?" said Matt.

"Why did you have to kiss me?" said Betty.

"I think you kissed me," said Matt.

"It was a mistake," said Betty. "I'm sorry…but it was."

"I know it was," said Matt, regretfully. "Have you told Daniel?"

"No!" said Betty, softly.

"Why?" said Matt.

"I'm just afraid that he'd hate me," said Betty. "You know like you did when I kissed Henry."

"I see," said Matt. He leaned back in his chair. He looked around. He got up and closed the door, looking back at Betty. "Daniel is not me."

"I'm aware of that, Matt," said Betty, as she looked down at her engagement ring.

"I do know one thing," said Matt. "As much as I hate to admit it, you and Daniel belong together. I saw the way he looks at you."

"Really," said Betty. "You mean it."

"I think I saw it a long time ago. Remember the U.N shoot?" said Matt.

"Yeah!" said Betty. "I still can't believe Daniel punched you. I mean, he shouldn't have done it."

"He was protecting you, even then," said Matt.

"We weren't together," said Betty. "Then…."

"I know," said Matt. "It doesn't change the fact that you were there for him. He was there for you. He loved you…even, if it was just as a friend." He sighed, as he tried to gather up the strength that he needed to let her go. "My point is that you need to tell him. I think it is going to be ten times worse hearing it from someone else."

"You are right," said Betty, as she leaned back in her chair. "Uh… you are so right."

"You didn't do anything wrong, Betty. It was just a misunderstanding," said Matt. "But….there is more to it. At least, from my end."

"What do you mean?" said Betty.

"Sofia is trying to break you and Daniel up," said Matt. "I am the one that helped her get her hands on Dunn Publications." He admitted.

"You didn't," said Betty. "Matt!"

"Sofia contacted me in Africa," said Matt. "She told me about the wedding. At the time, I was hurt. I didn't want you to marry Daniel."

"So, you thought you could just make me change my mind," said Betty.

"But, I did change my mind. I saw how happy the two of you were together…here in your office the other day. I know that you really had moved on. I knew that you were happy," said Matt. "I'm really sorry."

"Let me guess. She had something to do with the venue for our wedding having a scheduling conflict," said Betty.

"You guess it," said Matt.

"What am I supposed to do now?" said Betty. "Sofia owns the company. I'm going to have to deal with her every single day now. She's going to my life a living hell."

"Well, not exactly. Let me take care of Sofia," said Matt. "The most important thing is that you go talk to Daniel, before Sofia does."

* * *

Daniel sat on the couch, with the note pad in hand, finished up the vows for the wedding. He couldn't believe how difficult it was to put into work how much Betty meant to him and how lucky he felt that he was going to get to spend the rest of his life with her. He knew there was nothing that was going to get in the way of that.

"Hey, Daniel!" said Tyler.

"Hey," said Daniel. He placed the note pad on the table. "How's South Dakota?"

"Great!" said Tyler. "Amanda and I just got to New York. We are flying over with mom for the big day."

"Betty and I can't wait to see you guys," said Daniel. "You know this is the first time that all of us have been in the same place at the same time."

"Yeah!" said Tyler. "Mom can't wait."

"So, what's new?" said Daniel. "We haven't talked much since I came to London."

"Well, I'm married," said Tyler.

"You're what?" said Daniel. "Could you repeat that?"

"I'm married," said Tyler. "Amanda and I just got married, a few days ago."

"Wow! That's…uh, pretty sudden," said Daniel. "Unexpected."

"I just wanted to call and give you a heads up," said Tyler. "Neither Amanda or I wanted to take away from you and Betty's big day with our news."

"No…No…I understand," said Daniel. "Wow! I just can't believe this."

"Well, there is more," said Tyler, took a deep breath. "Amanda's pregnant."

"This family is just getting bigger and bigger," said Daniel. He laughed. "So…how do you feel about it?"

"Well, I'm a nervous wreck," said Tyler.

"So, how did mom take the news?" said Daniel.

"She's thrilled," said Tyler. "And surprised. She figured that you would give her a grandchild before I would."

"I think Betty wants to wait a while," said Daniel, with a chuckle.

"Things happen unexpectedly sometimes," said Tyler. "Trust me."

"We will have to celebrate when you and Amanda get here," said Daniel. He heard the front door open.

"Sounds good," said Tyler.

"Betty's home," said Daniel. "I need to go. I'll talk to you soon."

"Well, give her my best," said Tyler. "We'll see you guys," He looked down at his wedding vows lying on the table, in front of him. Daniel hung up the phone.

"Hey, Sweetie," said Daniel. Betty put her bag down on the table, followed by her lap top case. "You are home early."

"Yeah!" said Betty.

He could see that things had not gone well, by the expression on her face. He made his way over to her. "You okay? You feeling okay?" Daniel asked.

"Yeah!" said Betty, as she felt his arms slip around her waist, pulling her closer. "It's been a really tough day…and it's not even lunch time."

"Let me guess….Sofia?" said Daniel. Betty nodded. "What did she say to you?"

"What didn't she say to me?" said Betty. He leaned and kissed her gently. "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Tyler," said Daniel. "He had some pretty big news."

"And…."

"He and Amanda got married," said Daniel.

"Amanda and Tyler got married," said Betty. "Are you serious?"

"Yep," said Daniel. "And she's pregnant."

"What? "said Betty. "Pregnant…"

"It's crazy, isn't it?" said Daniel.

"I have a really hard time imagining Amanda pregnant," said Betty.

"I don't think there is going to be a junk food stash safe anywhere for the next 8 or 9 months," said Daniel.

"True," said Betty, disheartened.

"Are you sure you're okay?" said Daniel. "It seems like something is bothering you."

"I think I'm just tired," said Betty. "But I do need to talk to you."

"I knew that something was wrong," said Daniel. "What's wrong, Betty?"

"I have a new co-editor," said Betty.

"I know," said Daniel.

"You know?" said Betty. "How?"

"Sofia came to see me this morning," said Daniel. "She seemed pretty eager to tell me about Matt Hartley."

"She did?" said Betty. Daniel nodded. "She told you."

"How do you feel about that?" Daniel asked.

"I'm not really upset," said Betty. "I don't hate Matt. It's just I don't want you to think that I would ever…"

"Betty," said Daniel, as he placed his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. "I trust you. I know that you are it for me. Okay?"

"But…Daniel, she's trying to come between us," said Betty.

"And…we are getting married," said Daniel. "There is nothing that Sofia or Matt can do about it."

"There is something I need to tell you," said Betty. He quickly silenced her with a kiss.

"Its okay, Betty.," Daniel whispered. "I'm not going anywhere." He said this in such a reassuring and confident tone. "Okay."

She nodded gently.

"Have you finished your vows?" Daniel asked her.

"Yeah!" said Betty, softly.

"Then, I need you to pack your suitcase," said Daniel.

"What?" said Betty. "Why?"

"We are going to New York," said Daniel.

"Why?" said Betty.

"Because I know what Sofia is up to," said Daniel. "She's trying to keep us from getting married. I talked to a few people about our scheduling conflict and found out that she was behind it."

"Matt told me. He confessed everything," said Betty. She sighed. "I just…." Daniel took his hand, lifting her chin, so that he could look directly in her eyes.

"Betty, I don't care if you kissed Matt," said Daniel. "Well, I do care…but not enough to throw away what we have together."

"How?" said Betty. "How did you know?"

"Sofia seemed more than happy to show me the pictures, which made me, think that they are in on this together. It got me thinking." He pointed at the envelope on the table.

"I thought he was you," said Betty.

"You were set up," said Daniel.

"How can you be so calm about this?" said Betty.

"Betty, you know that I'm not perfect," said Daniel. "You know all my faults and you love me anyway. I would be a fool to get mad over something that I know really doesn't matter. I would be a fool to throw our love away…because I love you so much, Betty. I fell for Sofia's scheming once. I'm not going to let it happen again."

"So…you want to elope?" said Betty. He caressed her cheek, as she looked up at him. She couldn't believe that she had kept this from him, but she was so thankful that he was so willing to forgive her.

"If you want to," said Daniel.

"What about work?" said Betty.

"Well, I guess we are just really lucky that you have a co-editor to take care of things for you, while you are away," said Daniel, with a chuckle. "I think you could call in sick, let Matt take care of everything with Sofia, while I whisk you away for a quick wedding with our family."

"What about our wedding that we planned?" said Betty.

"Well, if we go to New York, everyone won't have to come here," said Daniel. "We were going to have to find a new venue here anyway, which is going to be impossible at this point. I think this just proves that we need to go back home to get married."

"This is crazy," said Betty.

"Come on," said Daniel. "It's perfect. There is a plane leaving for New York in a few hours. We can get our marriage license and be married on Saturday."

"Well, give me a few minutes," said Betty, with a smile. "I need to pack."

"Let me help you," said Daniel, seductively. He kissed her softly, and then deepened the kiss. Finally, Betty broke away.

She giggled, as she made her way to the bedroom. "If you help, we might never make it to the airport."

* * *

"Oh, My God!" said Claire, as she hung up the phone. She entered the living room where Amanda and Tyler were watching a movie.

"What?" said Tyler, looking at his mother.

"That was Daniel," said Claire.

"I just got off the phone with him," said Tyler, "Like 20 minutes ago."

"He and Betty are headed for the airport," said Claire. "They want to get married this Saturday."

"This Saturday," said Amanda, with a spoon full of ice cream in her mouth.

"Yes!" said Claire. "This Saturday!"

"He didn't say anything about that when I talked to him," said Tyler.

"I've got to call Hilda," said Claire.

"I'll call Marc," said Amanda, as she reached for her cell phone.

"We don't have much time," said Claire. "We have two days to put a wedding together."

"What's the hurry?" said Amanda. "Did he say why?"

"No. They were in the cab and said they would explain everything when they arrived," said Claire. "Right now, we have a lot of work to do."

* * *

Daniel and Betty made their plane for New York, with a few minutes to spare. They hesitantly packed, hoping they didn't forget anything.

"Did you get our wedding rings?" Betty asked.

"Yes!" said Daniel. "I have them in my pocket for safe keeping."

"I called Christina," said Betty. "She is going to be on a flight first thing in the morning with my wedding dress."

"Mom is taking care of everything else," said Daniel. "We just need to get our marriage license."

"How did your mom take it?" said Betty. "Was she okay with the rush wedding?"

"I don't think she really cares," said Daniel. "She just wants us married."

"I called Matt and he said that he would take care of Sofia…and hold her off," said Betty.

"Once we are married, there is nothing that she can do about it," said Daniel.

"Exactly," said Betty. She leaned over and kissed him.

* * *

Matt was swamped. He was doing everything possible to cover for Betty, since he got the call that she was going to be out for the rest of the week. He knew he had to do this to make up for the damage that he done. He needed to do this so that Betty and Daniel could pull this off.

"Have you heard from Betty?" said Sofia. "I checked her office and it doesn't look like she has been in today."

"She called in," said Matt.

"Well, she was ill the other day," said Sofia. "

"She's probably going to be out for a few days. She sounded horrible when I talked to her," said Matt.

"Well, that just throws everything off," said Sofia. "Maybe I could call Daniel and see if he wants to have lunch and discuss some business, since Betty is so sick."

"I think he is taking her to the doctor," said Matt.

"Well, don't forget," said Sofia. "We have to finalize all the paperwork with Mr. Dunn tomorrow afternoon."

"I'll be there," said Matt. Sofia quickly walked away. With Daniel and Betty safely on the way to New York, he knew that he just had to hold her off a bit longer. Then, he would be rid of her for good. After this, she would know that she should not mess with a Hartley or someone that he cared about.

* * *

Daniel and Betty arrived at the mansion, with the bags in hand. They walked through the door. The long trip was one that was worth it. It also made them realize that London may not be where they were mean to be. Having to jump on a plane to see the people they loved was getting to be too much. Every trip home made them miss New York more.

"Betty!" said Amanda.

"Amanda!" said Betty, as she was enveloped into a hug by Amanda. "Uh…Amanda, I can't breathe."

"Oh! Sorry!" said Amanda, as she finally released her. "I wouldn't want to hurt the babies."

"Babies?" said Betty.

"My baby and your baby," said Amanda. "I can't believe it."

"What are you talking about?" said Betty. She looked over at Daniel, who just shrugged his shoulders.

"You aren't pregnant?" said Amanda.

"Pregnant?" said Daniel. Claire and Tyler stand back and watch, in amusement. "Betty's not pregnant."

"Uh…of course I'm not," said Betty.

"Well, you are just glowing," said Amanda. "It must be the excitement of getting married."

"Then, why the rush?" said Tyler.

"Sofia was trying to sabotage our wedding," said Daniel.

"Sofia?" said Tyler. "Who's that?"

"She's Daniel's former fiancée," said Amanda. "She totally humiliated him on national television. It was horrible and I beat the crap out of her for it."

"You did?" said Tyler.

"Uh…yeah," said Amanda.

"Thanks for the recap, Amanda," said Daniel. "It's ancient history. Anyway, she took over Dunn Publications with the help of Matt Hartley."

"My brother," said Tyler.

"Yeah!" said Betty. "But, he is helping us now. Keeping her distracted why we come back here and get married."

"Well, we better get some rest," said Daniel. "We are both exhausted and it's been a long day…and we have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Yes! We do," said Betty, as she followed Daniel upstairs to their room.

* * *

Betty emerged from the bathroom, in her pajamas. She saw Daniel already in bed, waiting for her. She crawled into bed next to him.

"I can't believe that Amanda thought you were pregnant," said Daniel.

"Well, it is pretty easy to draw that conclusion," said Betty. "I mean, that is one of the reasons that Tyler and she got married."

"It's not the only reason," said Daniel. "I think they are going to be really happy together."

"I know," said Betty.

"And so are we," said Daniel, pulling her closer.

"In less than 48 hours, we are going to be husband and wife," said Betty, beamed. She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his. She snuggled up close to him.

"I'm so glad that we are doing this. Getting married here," said Daniel. "It just seems right."

"I know. We should have done this in the first place," said Betty. "Planning a wedding an ocean away from everyone we love was crazy."

"You know. Betty, I've been thinking," said Daniel. "We don't know what is waiting for us back in London. It is going to be almost impossible working for Dunn Publications with Sofia, in charge."

"I was thinking about that too," said Betty.

"I don't want you to have to deal with her," said Daniel. "I know you would be professional, but I don't think she would be."

"Matt said he was going to take care of it," said Betty. "He promised."

"Sofia is capable of anything," said Daniel. "I think we know that. I think we should come back to New York."

"It's an option. I guess," said Betty.

"I know how much you miss being with your family," said Daniel.

She nodded. "I do. I just feel like if I come back. If I quit, I'll be a failure."

"You are not a failure," said Daniel. "You are amazing." Betty smiled.

"But…how about we just deal with it when we get back? I just want to concentrate on the next step in our personal lives….not our professional ones."

"Okay!" said Daniel. "I can deal with that. But…" said Daniel. Then, Betty shut Daniel up with kiss. After all, this was the last night they would be spending together until after they were married.

* * *

The look on Sofia's face was priceless, as he watched her from across the table. She flipped through the paperwork that he had handed to her.

"My name isn't on any of these documents," said Sofia.

"You don't own anything," said Matt.

"What do you mean?" said Sofia. "We had a deal."

"Well, you didn't exactly make things easy for me," said Matt. "You thought you had power over me. Well, you showed me your hand…before the paperwork complete or the money was transferred. With the help of my father, I had a few things changed."

"What about the photos?" said Sofia. "Betty is going to find out what you did."

"Betty and Daniel know everything," said Matt. "You really underestimated me…and even Daniel for that matter. Daniel didn't care about that kiss. He knows that Betty loves him."

"I thought you loved her," said Sofia.

"I do love her," said Matt. "I also know that when you love someone, sometimes you have to let them go. Betty and Daniel are happy together. As for you, you will never be happy."

"You are such an idiot," said Sofia.

"No, you are the fool here," said Matt, as he looked at his watch. "Daniel and Betty are in the process of preparing for the wedding….in New York."

"That's impossible," said Sofia. Matt laughed.

"I did my homework," said Matt. "It seems that the only reason you wanted to get your hooks into Daniel Meade was for his money. It seems that you owned a lot of money to a lot of people when your last publication failed."

"I don't know what you are talking about," said Sofia.

"Ahh…well," said Matt. "It really doesn't matter. I played your game. I won. Now, I suggest that you pack you things and get out of my building before I have security kick you out."

"Your building?" said Sofia.

"Yes!" said Matt. "I own Dunn Publications now."

* * *

Marc, Justin and Troy were rummaging in The Closet, looking for a few things to take back to the mansion.

"Amanda needs some shoes," said Marc. "Could you grab those pink ones?"

"Can't Amanda buy her own shoes?" said Troy. "She is married to Tyler now, whose mother is Claire Meade."

"Like there is time for that," said Justin. "Christina has to do alternations on 3 dresses by the end of the day. I don't think Amanda, my mom or Betty are going to be able to escape." Justin continued to look through the racks of clothes. "Oh….We need shoes for Aunt Betty too."

"She and Amanda are the same size," said Marc. "Troy, go get those white shoes on the shelf over there." Troy walks over to grab the shoes.

"What is going on in here?" said Wilhelmina, sternly. The three froze where they stood.

"Nothing," said Marc, as he holds the shoes behind his back.

"I don't believe you," said Wilhelmina, giving him a skeptical look. "I know when you are up to something."

"What makes you think that?" said Marc.

"Well, you haven't been in your office all morning," said Wilhelmina. "Plus, I haven't been able to reach Claire. She seems to be missing."

"Nope…she's not missing," said Justin. "She's…."

"She's in a meeting across town," said Marc. "A really long meeting."

"You are lying to me, Marc," said Wilhelmina. She then looks over at Justin. "Also, shouldn't you be in school."

"It's a holiday," said Justin.

"What holiday would that be?" said Wilhelmina. She looks back at Marc.

"Fine…." Marc spilled. "Daniel and Betty are getting married tomorrow. They just wanted to keep it quiet. They are getting married at 2:00 at the Meade Mansion…do you need the address?"

Wilhelmina just smiled and left the room, without another word.

"How does she do that?" said Marc. "She always knows how to get the truth out of me."

"It's a gift," said Justin.

* * *

Daniel walks her to her bedroom, where she will be staying the night before the wedding. They were still in shock about the news being leaked about their wedding. "I can't believe that our wedding is all over the news," said Betty. "Who do you think leaked it to Suzuki?"

"Who knows?" said Daniel. "It doesn't really matter. They are going to know soon enough. Anyway, there is no way they are getting inside here tomorrow," said Daniel. "It's just family and friends." Daniel leans in and kisses her. His arms wrapped around her waist.

"I can't believe that in the morning. We are getting married," said Betty. "I'm really glad that we didn't wait."

"Me too," said Daniel.

"Daniel…." said Betty. "I love you so much."

"I am going to be the best husband to you," said Daniel. "And the best father to our children…when you are ready."

"Well, it's funny that you bring that up," said Betty, with a shy smile. "I think I'm ready."

"What?" said Daniel. "Really? I thought you weren't ready for that."

"Amanda got me thinking the other night," said Betty. "Plus, you know that I haven't been feeling very well at all."

"What are you saying?" said Daniel.

"I'm already pregnant," said Betty.

"How?" said Daniel.

"With everything going on," said Betty. "I….forgot to take my birth control a few times. I know that's not like me at all. I never forget things like that….but there has been so much going on. I just hope you aren't mad at…."

"Betty!" said Daniel. "You're rambling." He smiled, as he looked in her eyes.

"Sorry!" said Betty. "I'm just nervous."

"Betty, I could never be mad at you," said Daniel. "You are having our baby." He smiled.

"I'm so glad," said Betty, as a wave of relief swept over her. "I just thought you wanted to wait until we were married."

"Well…we will be in about 12 hours," said Daniel. He looked into her eyes. "Not everything in life is planned, Betty. I never expected you to come into my life. I never expected for you to change my life completely the way you did. I never expected to fall in love with you, or that you would love me back. Life is full of unexpected surprises. I think this is a pretty great one."

"I love you," said Betty.

"I love you too," said Daniel. "Have you told anyone yet?"

"Just Hilda and Christina," said Betty. "I made them swear not to tell anyone, until we tell everyone…..after the wedding."

"Probably a good idea," said Daniel. "If you told Amanda, then half of New York would know."

"Well, we should get some sleep," said Betty, as she back up to the door. Daniel gently pressed up against her.

"Are you sure that I can't stay with you tonight?" said Daniel, as he kissed her on the neck. "I believe we need to celebrate."

"We will get plenty of celebration later," said Betty. "I promise." Then, he kissed her one more time, before they finally managed to say good night.

* * *

The next day, Daniel stood at the in the end of the aisle, waiting for Betty. He looked around at their friends and family that were gathered to watch as he and Betty took the next step and began a new chapter in their lives together.

When he saw Betty appear at the end of the aisle, he felt his heart race. She was so beautiful in the dress that Christina had designed. As Ignacio walked her down the aisle towards him, he couldn't help but to think of all the moment that had led them to this one. The good times and the bad times.

As they recited their vows, they promised to love each other for the rest of their lives. There wasn't a dry eye in the house when Daniel and Betty exchanged rings and were pronounced husband and wife.


End file.
